The Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets met on December 11, 2025 with both teams juggling significant injury questions. The pregame availability sheets told the story before a single shot went up: health would shape everything. The Clippers arrived at 6-18, searching for rhythm. The Rockets stood at 15-6, steady and confident, but not immune to setbacks.

With notable names sidelined on both sides, the margins were always going to be about who could adapt — and who could avoid the next tough update from the training room.

Injury report at a glance: Clippers dealing with absences

Los Angeles’ report was headlined by two long-term blows. Bradley Beal (SG) remained out with left hip soreness/fracture, an extended absence that robs the Clippers of a primary scorer and playmaker. Derrick Jones Jr. (SF) was also out with a sprained right MCL, taking away a key perimeter defender and lob threat.

Depth was further stretched with Jordan Miller (SG) listed as questionable due to lower-back tightness, and RayJ Dennis out on a G League two-way assignment. Chris Paul was noted as not with the team, leaving his status unclear for this date.

• Bradley Beal — Out (left hip soreness/fracture)
• Derrick Jones Jr. — Out (sprained right MCL)
• Jordan Miller — Questionable (lower-back tightness)
• RayJ Dennis — Out (G League Two-Way)
• Chris Paul — Not with team (status unclear)

Those names matter because the Clippers’ margin for error this season has been thin. At 6-18, every rotation decision carries extra weight. Missing Beal reduces shot creation beside Kawhi Leonard, while Jones’ length on the wing typically helps unlock switchable lineups around Ivica Zubac in the middle.

“If Beal and Jones are out, Kawhi has to do everything — again.”

Rockets’ depth tested: Sengun illness looms large

Houston’s record sparkles, but the medical notes were sobering. Alperen Sengun (C) was listed questionable with an illness. That’s pivotal. Sengun has been Houston’s hub — a scorer, rebounder, and playmaker all in one. The Rockets also listed a long line of absences that have been reshaping their rotation for weeks.

• Alperen Sengun — Questionable (illness)
• Tari Eason — Out (right oblique strain)
• Dorian Finney-Smith — Out (left ankle surgery)
• Fred VanVleet — Out for the season (torn ACL)
• Isaiah Joe — Out (left knee contusion)
• Thomas Sorber — Out (right ACL surgery recovery)
• AJ Green — Questionable (left AC joint sprain)
• Taurean Prince — Out (neck surgery)
• Mark Sears — Out (G League Two-Way)

Losing Fred VanVleet for the season with a torn ACL is the headline hit — he sets tempo, space, and late-game calm. Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith out means fewer rangy forwards to plug gaps on defense. And if Sengun couldn’t go, it would force Houston to reimagine its offense for a night.

“No Sengun? That changes everything the Rockets run at the elbow.”

Stars and numbers: who carries the load?

Even in the shadow of injuries, the star power was clear.

• Alperen Sengun (HOU): 19 GP, 23.1 PTS, 9.1 REB, 7.1 AST, 1.3 STL, 1.0 BLK, 1.1 3PM
• Kawhi Leonard (LAC): 14 GP, 25.4 PTS, 5.5 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.9 STL, 0.4 BLK, 2.3 3PM
• James Harden (HOU): 23 GP, 26.8 PTS, 5.4 REB, 8.3 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.4 BLK, 3.5 3PM
• Ivica Zubac (LAC): 24 GP, 15.9 PTS, 11.6 REB, 2.6 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.9 BLK

Those stat lines tell you the likely script. If Sengun was fit, he would be the fulcrum — a big who bends coverages with passes and touch. If not, more usage flows toward James Harden, whose 26.8 points and 8.3 assists per game suggest he is fully capable of running the show.

For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard has been efficient and sharp, scoring 25.4 per game with strong steals numbers. Ivica Zubac has delivered a steady double-double pace and could be the pressure point against a Rockets front line missing length and two-way wings.

“If Zubac owns the glass, that’s the Clippers’ best path to an upset.”

Matchup chess: where the game bends

If Sengun plays, expect Houston’s elbows and high-post actions to hum. His passing can punish over-help, and his touch forces bigs to make tough choices. That would pull Zubac up and open back cuts for Houston’s wings.

If he sits, Houston likely leans even more on Harden’s pick-and-rolls and spot-up spacing. Without VanVleet, shot creation shifts to Harden and secondary handlers. The Rockets still have shooting, but fewer two-way forwards means matchups for Kawhi could be kinder late clock.

For the Clippers, the absence of Beal and Jones squeezes their wing depth. They need two things to keep pace: Kawhi controlling tempo and clean defensive possessions ending in Zubac rebounds. If Jordan Miller can go, even in a limited role, it helps stabilize rotations at the two and three.

Why this matters now

At 6-18, Los Angeles cannot afford many more nights where the offense stalls. Even without several Houston defenders, the Rockets’ 15-6 start shows a team that knows how to win with different lineups. Every possession, every matchup decision, and every availability update mattered in the hours before tipoff.

This snapshot reflects official reports from December 10–11, 2025. No further updates or game results were included in the provided sources, so final statuses and outcomes may have shifted closer to game time.

Bottom line

Both benches were being tested, but for different reasons. The Clippers were fighting to find healthy creators around Kawhi. The Rockets were juggling the loss of VanVleet and waiting on Sengun’s status to anchor the offense.

In a league defined by stars, the injury sheet is often the true first read. On this night, it told us the story well before the first whistle: availability would decide identity, and identity would decide everything else.

How each side responded to the absences — with smarter rotations, clearer roles, and a little patience — would likely set the tone not just for this game, but for the weeks to come.