Shorthanded Rockets Take Perfect 5-0 Mark Into Dallas Cup Clash

The Houston Rockets will put their perfect 5-0 start on the line in Dallas on Friday night, but they will do so as a much thinner team than the one that beat the Mavericks by 18 points nine days ago. Reed Sheppard is out with a back problem, Steven Adams is sidelined by a calf injury and Marcus Smart misses out with a forearm issue, while Alperen Sengun has not been ruled out but is carrying a back concern. It is the softest version of the unbeaten Rockets that Dallas will see, and it comes in an NBA Cup group game against a Mavericks side riding a two-game winning run after a 120-96 rout that handed Oklahoma City its first loss. Houston's perfect start — its first 5-0 opening since the 2014-15 season — has been built on Fred VanVleet's return as floor general, Sengun playing some of the best all-around basketball of his career, Kevin Durant scoring with outrageous efficiency and Amen Thompson thriving in a bigger offensive role. Dallas, at 3-2, has its own injury list, with Dereck Lively II still out and Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic and Naji Marshall all carrying return dates of Friday. Cooper Flagg ran the win over Oklahoma City with 26 points, eight assists and no turnovers, and the stage is set for a real test of whether Houston's depth can keep the last unbeaten run in the West alive.