Head coach Ime Udoka said Saturday that Eason (hip) is expected to miss four to six weeks, Rockets reporter Vaneesa Richardson reports.
This is a tough blow for Houston, as they will be without one of their top forwards through at least the middle of December. The official diagnosis was a strained oblique after it was initially described as a contusion. With Eason sidelined, Josh Okogie could see increased playing time. Guys like Jeff Green and Jae'Sean Tate could potentially become more involved as well.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Won't return Friday
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Eason has been ruled out for the remainder of Friday's game against the Trail Blazers due to a right hip contusion, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Eason will miss the entire second half after picking up a right hip injury. He'll finish the game with three points (1-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists and one steal across 11 minutes. Josh Okogie could see an uptick in minutes while Jae'Sean Tate or Jeff Green could enter the rotation. Eason's next chance to play will come Sunday against Orlando.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Logs 20 off bench in win
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Eason racked up 20 points (7-12 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and six rebounds across 21 minutes during Wednesday's 135-112 win over the Wizards.
Eason turned in his first 20-point performance since Oct. 27 in just 21 minutes. He has also scored in double-digits in seven of his last eight performances, averaging 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks and 3.1 threes on an astounding 56.8 percent clip in that span.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Stuffs stat sheet off bench in win
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Eason closed Wednesday's 124-109 win over Memphis with 16 points (5-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 32 minutes.
Eason returned to the bench for this game since Jabari Smith (ankle) moved back into the starting lineup after a one-game absence. However, that didn't affect his production. Eason has scored in double digits in five straight games now, averaging 15.8 points per game over that stretch and reaching the 15-point plateau three times. Eason endured a slow start to the season, but his play over that five-game stretch should earn him a regular spot in the rotation for the time being.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Headed to bench
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Eason will come off the bench for Wednesday's game in Memphis, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Jabari Smith is back and in the starting lineup following a one-game stint on the sidelines, so Eason will shift back to a reserve role with the second unit. In five games off the bench this season, Eason has registered averages of 11.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 23.7 minutes a night.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Strong production continues
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Eason ended with 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals over 30 minutes during Monday's 110-102 victory over Dallas.
Eason moved into the starting lineup after Jabari Smith was ruled out with an ankle injury. The promotion suited Eason, as he logged a season-high 30 minutes and continued what has been a solid run of production over the past four games. During that span, he has averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.7 three-pointers.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Will start vs. Dallas
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Eason will be in the starting lineup for Monday's game against Dallas, Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network reports.
Jabari Smith is out with an ankle issue, opening up a spot in the first group for Eason. Last regular season, Eason averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks in 29.9 minutes per contest over 16 games as a starter. He makes for a strong plug-and-play fantasy option Monday.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Bounces back in blowout win
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Eason amassed 22 points (8-12 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one block over 26 minutes during Monday's 137-109 win over the Nets.
After totaling seven points on 3-of-11 shooting in 50 minutes over Houston's first two games, Eason bounced back against Brooklyn. The 24-year-old forward led the Rockets in scoring while knocking down a game-high five three-pointers. He should continue to see significant minutes off the bench thanks to his ability to contribute on both ends of the floor.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Worrying performance Friday
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Eason supplied four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists and one steal across 28 minutes during Friday's 115-111 loss to the Pistons.
Eason struggled again Friday, continuing his slow start to the season. While his playing time was more than enough, his production was well below what is typically expected. Frustrations are likely to set in for those who took a chance on him in drafts, and rightfully so. However, he is worth holding onto in most spots, at least for another week or so, in the hope that he figures things out.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Struggles in opening loss
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Eason finished with three points (1-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt), five rebounds and one block across 22 minutes during Tuesday's 125-124 double-overtime loss to the Thunder.
Eason was a non-factor in the loss, failing to build any rhythm on the defensive end, while making a number of questionable decisions on offense. While he is slated to play a meaningful role for the Rockets, the fact that a new contract was not signed could indicate some tension. Look for him to turn things around when Houston hosts Detroit on Friday.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Pours in 20 points off bench
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Eason produced 20 points (9-15 FG, 0-4 3PT, 2-3 FT), one rebound, two steals and one block across 21 minutes of Tuesday's 130-128 preseason win over the Pelicans.
Eason made his third appearance of the preseason Tuesday and saw his biggest workload yet -- the Rockets have been ramping him up slowly after an injury-plagued 2024-25 season. If the preseason is any indication, Eason looks to be in mid-season form and projects to see minutes in the mid-to-high 20s as a key member of the second unit this season.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Available from second unit
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Eason (undisclosed) is available off the bench for Wednesday's preseason game against the Jazz, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Eason got the starting nod in Houston's preseason opener Monday against the Hawks, but he's riding with the second unit to accommodate for Kevin Durant's first appearance for the Rockets on Wednesday. Eason has dealt with injuries over the past two years, and it remains unclear how the team will handle him for back-to-back sets in 2025-26.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Iffy for Wednesday
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Eason (undisclosed) is questionable for Wednesday's preseason game against Utah, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Eason started Monday's preseason opener against Atlanta in place of Kevin Durant (rest), finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes. Coach Ime Udoka said he'll see how Eason feels before a decision is made. Eason struggled with injuries during the 2024-25 campaign, so it's not a surprise to see the team exercise some caution.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Used sparingly in Game 4
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Eason closed with three points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 17 minutes during Monday's 109-106 loss to the Warriors in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Eason's minutes continue to trend in the wrong direction, as he's seen minutes in the teens in two straight contests with Houston, relying heavily on Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson on the wings. Eason has struggled overall, shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc, with 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 steals and 0.8 three-pointers.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Playing Sunday
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Eason (lower leg) is not on the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Nuggets.
The Rockets rested their regular rotation players in the last two contests, but that won't be the case Sunday because this is the final chance the Rockets will have to log competitive minutes until the playoffs start April 19. As such, Eason should handle his regular workload in the frontcourt, though it's uncertain if he'll start or come off the bench. Eason is averaging 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while starting in 12 of his 20 appearances since the All-Star break.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Starting Wednesday
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Eason is part of the first unit for Wednesday's game against the Clippers, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Dillon Brooks (rest) and Jabari Smith (groin) won't play Wednesday, allowing Eason to join the starting five for the 16th time this season. The 23-year-old forward is averaging 14.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as a starter in 2024-25.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Struggles in reserve role
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Eason posted five points (2-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one block over 18 minutes during Friday's 125-111 win over the Thunder.
Steven Adams supplanted Eason in the starting lineup Friday, which translated into a significant decrease in the latter's productivity. Eason has averaged 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks in 22.2 minutes over his last seven games off the bench. Through his last nine outings as a starter, however, the 2022 first-rounder has averaged 16.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.6 minutes.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Moving back to bench
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Eason is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Thunder, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.
Head coach Ime Udoka decided to tweak the starting lineup in order to match the Thunder's frontcourt of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, meaning Steven Adams will start alongside Alperen Sengun. As a result, Eason will be available off the bench. Eason should still see a heavy dose of minutes despite the second-unit role, though.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Strong showing in Wednesday's start
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Eason accumulated 15 points (7-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals over 24 minutes during Wednesday's 143-105 win over the Jazz.
Bouncing back into the starting five, Eason stuffed the stat sheet and produced multiple blocks and steals in the same game for the first time since Feb. 6. The third-year forward seems likely to start again Friday against the Thunder, with Dillon Brooks facing an automatic one-game suspension after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season Wednesday. Whether deployed on the first or second unit, Eason has scored in double digits in 12 of 15 appearances (nine start) since the beginning of March, averaging 14.3 points, 7.1 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.4 threes, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in that time while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.
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Rockets' Tari Eason: Stepping into first unit
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Eason is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Jazz.
Eason will slide into the starting lineup in place of the injured Fred VanVleet (ankle). In 14 starts this season, Eason has averaged 14.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks across 30.4 minutes.
