Kevin Porter Jr. Will Miss Second Straight Game Thursday

The Houston Rockets will have to pump the brakes on their six-game losing skid without their starting point guard. Adam Spolane tweeted that Kevin Porter Jr. is out with an illness for the second straight game and wouldn’t play versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

KPJ has fallen off last season’s pace and averages 13.7 points per game, below his 16.6 average from last year. His average assists and rebounds are nearly identical to last season, with the 21-year-old averaging 3.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 2021-22.

Dennis Schroder started in place of Porter Jr. last night against the Phoenix Suns, recording 23 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. Schroder’s 43.7 FanDuel Fantasy Points were his sixth-best tally of the season. The 28-year-old is expected to be back in the starting lineup on Thursday.

The Rockets come into tonight’s contest on the second night of a back-to-back, easily covering the +17 point spread against the Suns last night. That may have bought them some confidence in the betting market, as they enter tonight’s contest as +10.5 underdogs, per FanDuel Sportsbook.