HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 08: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives against the Utah Jazz during the first half of a preseason game at Toyota Center on October 08, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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The Rockets started the season off winless, going 0-2 following a pair of close losses. On opening night, they fell to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in double overtime, 125-124 in a game where center Alperen Sengun turned in a dominant performance, scoring 39 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 23 points and added 9 rebounds in his Rockets debut.
On Friday, the Rockets dropped their home opener to Detroit, 115-111, despite a monster outing from Durant who scored 37 points in front of the home crowd. The game saw multiple lead changes but turnovers and late defensive breakdowns allowed the Pistons to take the lead at the end.
This week, the Rockets host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, and then go north of the border to visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday before finally visiting the Boston Celtics on Saturday. The upcoming competition is much less steep than opening week with the Nets and Raptors both navigating rebuilds while the Celtics adapt to life without star forward Jayson Tatum, out indefinitely following his achilles injury. The Nets are leaning heavily on their rookie class while the Raptors are assessing the fit of new addition Brandon Ingram alongside Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley. In Boston, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are the team’s sole returning starters from the previous season.
Life Without Fred
The Rockets continue to attempt to navigate life without starting point guard Fred VanVleet, out for the season following ACL surgery. They’ve started both of their games with their vaunted double-big lineup, with center Steven Adams slotting next to Alperen Sengun, and wing Amen Thompson assuming point guard duties. That has meant that sophomore guard Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick in the draft two summers ago, has come off the bench. Sheppard has struggled in general in both games, shooting 3-11 from the floor on both nights, though he did shoot 3-4 from long range against the Pistons. The team has looked disjointed throughout both games in initiating its halfcourt offense; against the Thunder, the team struggled to get the ball to Durant late in crunch time.
As expected, the hole left by VanVleet will likely be the biggest storyline of this season and could make or break the Rockets’ title aspirations. The big question will be whether Thompson and Sheppard make big enough leaps in time before too much of the season is lost. How long will general manager Rafael Stone be able to remain patient before cashing in his chips on a trade?
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rahathuq/2025/10/26/rockets-winless-to-start-season/
