Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets: preview and player stats (Dec 27, 2026)

Injury/Illness - Right Knee/ Injury Recovery (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC). Prior reporting (2026-10-31): Holmgren underwent a biological treatment Friday to address a small patellar tendon tear and will miss at least 8-10 weeks, Nick Crain of Slam reports. This is another massive blow to an Oklahoma City squad that's already set to be without Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) for most, if not all, of the season. With Holmgren sidelined, Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams and Aday Mara are all candidates to see increased playing time. Two-way player Brooks Barnhizer could also see more minutes.

Injury/Illness - Left Ankle Sprain (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC). Prior reporting (2026-11-13): Mitchell (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the Clippers. Mitchell is in danger of missing a second straight game while nursing a left ankle sprain. He'll likely need to test the ankle out during shootaround and warmups to determine whether he can go Friday night.

Injury/Illness - Left Ankle Surgery (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC). Prior reporting (2026-10-28): Williams (leg) underwent successful surgery Wednesday to "address a fractured left fibula and reconstruction of ankle ligaments following a fracture and dislocation." He will be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. Williams suffered the injury during Sunday's meeting with the Clippers and was taken off the court on a stretcher. It's unknown when the 25-year-old will be cleared to return, though the Thunder will presumably be overly cautious moving forward. Williams, who signed a five-year extension in July of 2025, has had a productive career, averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals over 30.9 minutes per contest. However, after playing at least 69 regular-season games in his first three years in the league, he has appeared in just 36 in the last two seasons combined. With the Thunder having one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, the team may look for more minutes from Jared McCain, Jaylin Williams, and Kenrich Williams for the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign.

Injury/Illness - Left Shoulder Surgery (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC). Prior reporting (2026-10-31): Wallace underwent surgery Friday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports. Wallace is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season. However, there's still a chance he will return late in the campaign after sustaining the shoulder injury in Sunday's win over the Clippers. With Jalen Williams (leg) also set to be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season, Alex Caruso (ankle) should see significant playing time once cleared to return. In the meantime, Jared McCain, Bennett Stirtz and Josh Dix are expected to see increased burn.

Injury/Illness - Low Back Spasms (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC). Prior reporting (2026-11-11): Williams (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Portland and remains out indefinitely. Williams is slated to miss a fifth straight game and doesn't have a return timetable, so it's fair to consider him week-to-week. With Chet Holmgren (knee) also sidelined, the Thunder will rely on Isaiah Hartenstein and Aday Mara.

- (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC).

Injury/Illness - Right Knee Surgery (2026-11-13, OKC@LAC). Prior reporting (2026-11-13): Sorber (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers. Sorber is still recovering from knee surgery and remains without a timetable to return. He can be considered week-to-week until the Thunder offer an update on his status.

League Suspension (2026-11-13, UTA@HOU). Prior reporting (2026-11-12): Smart has been suspended three games for throwing a punch during Wednesday's matchup against Golden State, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Smart, who was ejected from Wednesday's game for punching Charles Bassey, will begin serving his suspension Friday night against the Jazz, meaning he'll be eligible to return Wednesday versus Indiana. Bruce Thornton and Reed Sheppard should be in line for more minutes while Smart serves his three-game ban.

Injury/Illness - Right Soleus Strain (2026-11-13, UTA@HOU). Prior reporting (2026-11-09): Head coach Ime Udoka said Monday that Adams could return as soon as Sunday's game at Washington, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports. The veteran center is still recovering from a right soleus strain and hasn't played since Oct. 23. With Adams and Clint Capela (ankle) both sidelined, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith figure to see increased burn at center.

Injury/Illness - Right Ankle Sprain (2026-11-13, UTA@HOU). Prior reporting (2026-11-09): Head coach Ime Udoka stated Monday that Capela (ankle) could be cleared to return either Nov. 15 in Washington or Nov. 16 in Miami, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports. Capela is missing a fourth straight game Monday against Denver due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. He'll presumably need to log 5-on-5 work before gaining clearance to play, though the Rockets haven't disclosed how far along the big man is in his rehab.

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-13, UTA@HOU).

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-13, UTA@HOU).