This week is my last at the Houston Chronicle. After 4.5 years, I’m taking a new journalism opportunity (more on that later) that keeps me in Houston. My last Rockets game is Sunday. I’ve covered NBA playoffs, Final Fours, World Series & the Olympics. But the people mean more than the events🧵

Josh Okogie didn’t think he’d be starting for the Rockets. Neither did Ime Udoka. An under-the-radar addition, Okogie emerges as an essential contributor for Houston: www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Kevin Durant posted this photo of Reed Sheppard on his Instagram story after Sheppard’s clutch defense and timely shot making helped the Rockets beat the Bucks

Kevin Durant's offense and Reed Sheppard's defense powered the Rockets to a second-half comeback win against the Bucks, 122-115. After giving up 25 points off turnovers through three quarters, the Rockets outscored the Bucks 12-5 off turnovers in the fourth. www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Reed Sheppard has tied a career high with four steals

END 3Q: Rockets 82, Bucks 85. Houston outscored Milwaukee 32-24 in the third quarter and is back in this after Kevin Durant scored 15 points in the quarter (5-of-8 FG, 4-of-6 FT).

HALFTIME: Rockets 50, Bucks 61. Houston cut a 14-point deficit to four but turnovers allowed Milwaukee to expand lead. The Rockets gave up 21 points off turnovers in the half and didn’t get a shot off on their last three possessions (TO, TO, jump ball + shot-clock violation).

Turnovers continue to be an issue for the Rockets. Zone defense, too.

END 1Q: Rockets 28, Bucks 30. Houston dominated the glass (16-6 overall, 6-2 OREB) and the paint (18-10) but Milwaukee shot 5-of-8 from deep and scored six points off turnovers.

Giannis upgraded from probable to available and will start. Bucks starters: AJ Green, Ryan Rollins, Gary Trent Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner. Rockets starters: Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün. www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Flight issues prevented me from getting to Milwaukee, so I’m covering from home today. Here’s your pregame primer for Rockets-Bucks: www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

After the Rockets were eliminated from the 2025 playoffs, Tari Eason said it was the toughest year of his life. Tari opened up about losing his father – the “heart and soul” of his family – and the transformative summer that helped him grow from grief: www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Rockets injury report for Sunday’s game as expected. VanVleet, Finney-Smith, Crawford and Harris out. Bucks list Giannis (left knee patellar tendinopathy) as probable. Kevin Porter Jr. (meniscus surgery), Taurean Prince (neck strain) and Alex Antetokounmpo (G League) are out.

In today’s travel adventures…

Ime Udoka: Rockets got ‘punked’ in double-digit loss to Spurs that ended five-game winning streak www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

The Rockets gave up a season-high 33 points off turnovers and had their five-game win streak snapped in a 121-110 loss to the Spurs: www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

An official review determined that Thompson’s swipe-down foul on Sochan was a flagrant foul 1 because Thompson made contact with Sochan’s face.

HALFTIME: Rockets 50, Spurs 51. The Rockets once led by 11 points but the Spurs scored the last 12 points of the half. Houston gave up way too many points off of turnovers and offensive rebounds.

And the Rockets' leading scorer midway through the second quarter is... Reed Sheppard, with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting

END 1Q: Rockets 25, Spurs 23. Wemby is 1-for-3 with two points, two rebounds and three turnovers. Josh Okogie did a helluva job defending him to start, with Amen Thompson and Tari Eason chipping in as well.

Ime Udoka furiously calls timeout with the Rockets trailing 21-16 after Keldon Johnson beat out Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. for an offensive rebound and scored. The Rockets are being outscored 8-2 in second-chance points and Harrison Barnes is lighting them up from deep.

Reminder that Rockets-Spurs tonight is an Amazon Prime game, not available on Space City Home Network www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

As always, pregame updates and starting lineups here: www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Rockets coach Ime Udoka on next steps for Dorian Finney-Smith: “Just continue to ramp it up. He's getting non-contact work in, and got to see how the ankle responds to an increase in the load there. And so don't really have a timeline.”

Steven Adams is available for the Rockets tonight in San Antonio. Houston will keep the same starting lineup of Thompson-Okogie-Durant-Smith-Sengun.

NBA Cup court ready at Frost Bank Center

The Rockets begin NBA Cup play tonight against the Spurs. Here’s what you need to know ⬇️ www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Rockets center Steven Adams (left hip flexor tightness) is questionable again for Friday’s game in San Antonio after he sat out last game in Memphis. Rest of the injury report is as expected: Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith remain out (surgery recovery).

Nugget from this story: The Rockets are 4-0 with the starting lineup of Thompson/Okogie/Durant/Smith/Sengun. In all four of those games, every starter scored double digit points.

Double trouble: Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun pace Houston Rockets past Memphis Grizzlies as winning streak hits five games www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

HALFTIME: Rockets 60, Grizzlies 51. The Rockets are doing a phenomenal job finding Amen Thompson (18 points, 8-14 FG) in the dunker spot. Alperen Şengün has 10 points, 7 reb and 5 assists.

Amen Thompson has 14 points in 16 minutes so far tonight after he scored 20 points in the first half last game. The Grizzlies are defending him with bigs and Thompson is exploiting that over and over.

In the opening minute of the second quarter, Ime Udoka burned his coach’s challenge in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn a foul call on Capela, his second personal foul.

With Steven Adams out, Clint Capela is the second sub off the bench for the Rockets and replaces Sengun.

The Rockets are 5-of-8 from the field with all but one shot attempt coming in the paint, where they’re outscoring the Grizzlies 8-2. Rockets lead 14-5 early and are imposing their physicality.

Jock Landale came over and interrupted Jeff Green’s pregame handshake ritual with the Rockets 😂

Rockets starters: Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun Grizzlies starters: Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jock Landale

Steven Adams is out for the Rockets tonight, per Ime Udoka. Jabari Smith Jr. is available and will start alongside Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, and Alperen Sengun.

Reed Sheppard and Garrett Jackson catching up with ex-Rocket Jock Landale, now on the Grizzlies

📍Memphis

Rockets at Grizzlies: Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr. questionable to play Any injury status updates will be posted in the story ⬇️ www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

The Rockets list Steven Adams (left hip flexor tightness) and Jabari Smith Jr. (right ankle sprain) as questionable to play in Memphis. Fred VanVleet (ACL recovery), Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle surgery recovery), Isaiah Crawford (G League) and Kevon Harris (G League) are out.

Okogie finished the game and moved well. I saw him in the locker room postgame and didn't see anything wrong. The Rockets will submit their injury report this afternoon but I don't expect him to be on it.

ICYMI: After the Rockets lost their first two games by a total of five points and won the next three by a total of 73, Kevin Durant said Monday’s gritty win was a valuable experience. www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

After 800th win, UH's Kelvin Sampson reflects on the path there. 'A fun journey full of potholes' www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/colle... Story by @joseph-duarte.bsky.social

FYI for people flying out of IAH today, I just made it through Terminal A security (precheck) in less than 10 minutes. The regular and CLEAR lines were moving very quickly, too. Now I have four hours to kill.

“I love the connection I have with Amen,” Alperen Şengün said. “I always know where he is. He always looking for me. I always looking for him.” More: www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

Alperen Şengün on how he and Kevin Durant overcame inefficient starts to help the Rockets gut out a win over the Mavs in crunch time: “Nobody wants to lose and we are the leaders of this team now, so we just need to take over after some point." www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...

The Rockets hold off the Mavs to get their fourth straight win. “To hold them to 102, and kind of have to grind it out, it’s a little more satisfying,” Ime Udoka said. www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rocke...