There is no shortage of sports-related content this week what with the Super Bowl, the NBA Trade Deadline, the start of the Winter Olympic Games, and Spring Training opening in about 10 days. It’s why the NBA picked an interesting time to give the Houston Rockets a spicy part of their schedule, and for Kevin Durant to be hobbled by an injury.
Let’s discuss.
**Kevin Durant, Injured All-Star**
The Rockets 37-year-old star was named to yet another All-Star game this week in a reserve role. He’s the only Houston Rocket (more on that below) to make it so far this year. He is deserving, but not long after the announcement, he was ruled out of the game in Indiana with an ankle sprain he tweaked after stepping on the foot of a fan. Dude, don’t do that!
Fortunately, coach Ime Udoka said that they do not expect their All-Star forward to miss much time. In fact, he could be back later this week and it’s a good thing because they are going to need him.
**Alperen Sengun All-Star Showing**
Maybe it was being without Durant or maybe he was feeling snubbed not being named to the All-Star team, but Sengun went off against the Pacers with 39 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. There were times when it felt like he was the team’s only offense (get well soon, Kevin!).
Even though he was not named to the All-Star team, it is likely he might get there anyway as a couple of players are likely to miss the game due to injury and he’s top of the list to be added as a replacement.
**Trade Deadline Looms**
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday afternoon and while the Rockets have certainly been busy in talks, few expect much if anything to happen. There have been some wild rumors floated, but nothing that would come close to serious for a team that feels pretty good about where they are. GM Rafael Stone will look to improve with smaller deals, particularly for shooting/backcourt help and maybe a center now that Seven Adams is out for the season, but if you are expecting a big splash of a trade, you’ll probably be disappointed.
**Upcoming Surprisingly Tough Schedule**
The next seven games promise to be rough for the Rockets despite the fact that most are at Toyota Center. The surprising Celtics are in town Wednesday followed by the Hornets (speaking of surprises), one of the league’s hottest teams, on the second night of a back-to-back. Saturday, they are in Oklahoma City to take another run at the champs before heading home for a back-to-back in their own building against the Clippers (who may have traded James Harden by then?).
If that weren’t enough, they go to Charlotte and New York immediately following the All-Star break. It’s a brutal seven games. Pray for Kevin Durant’s ankle.
**Bonus: Watch the ABA Documentary Trailer!**
If you are too young to remember the American Basketball Association (or even if you aren’t), as a basketball fan, you owe it to yourself to check out _Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association_, a new documentary on the league that brought us the three-point line, slam dunk contest, and Dr. J.
This article appears in [Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026](https://www.houstonpress.com/?post_type=newspack_collection&p=402482).