James Harden, Clint Capela return to starting lineup for Rockets - Rockets Wire
Superstar guard James Harden and center Clint Capela each returned to the Houston Rockets starting lineup for Tuesday’s game versus Denver.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed the statuses of both players in his pregame media session with reporters at Toyota Center.
Harden missed Sunday’s loss in New Orleans with what the team called a sprained right big toe, though D’Antoni later clarified that he was also dealing with a sore knee. Both incidents are believed to have occurred during Saturday’s home win over Brooklyn, which Harden finished out.
D’Antoni said Harden “probably could” have played Sunday, if the game was more meaningful. The 30-year-old easily leads the NBA this season at 38.3 points per game, and he’s also in the top 10 in assists at 7.5.
Comparatively speaking, Tuesday’s game would seem to be more meaningful, since the Rockets (22-11) are chasing the Nuggets (23-9) for the No. 2 spot in the West standings. With Houston having already lost a game at Denver in November, a loss Tuesday would put the Rockets in a tough spot regarding any potential tiebreaker between the teams.
Meanwhile, Capela returns after missing two games with a right heel contusion. The 25-year-old is averaging 13.9 points (64.2% FG), 14.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 33.6 minutes per game, and his athleticism has historically made him a tough matchup for Denver’s Nikola Jokic.
The Rockets have an extended stretch of off days coming up, which may have made the decision to bring Harden and Capela back a bit easier.
With Tuesday night being New Year’s Eve, the game tips off at an earlier-than-usual start time of 6 p.m. Central from Toyota Center.
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