The Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns enter their Nov. 24, 2025 meeting with medical reports that read like scouting reports. Houston will be without several key pieces, including Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet, while Steven Adams’ status remains up in the air. Phoenix is also short-handed, with Grayson Allen and Mark Williams out and more names sidelined according to the latest update. The result: a game that will be decided as much by rotation creativity and role-player poise as by star power.

Houston’s Injury Picture: Big Names, Big Adjustments

The Rockets confirmed a long list of absences. Kevin Durant (personal) is out. Fred VanVleet (torn ACL) remains sidelined for the long term. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), Jae’Sean Tate (personal), and Tari Eason (hip, 4–6 weeks) are also out. Steven Adams is questionable with right ankle tendinopathy.

• Out: Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jae’Sean Tate, Tari Eason
• Questionable: Steven Adams (right ankle)

That is a lot of length, shooting, and toughness off the floor. Durant’s scoring and late-clock shotmaking are missing. VanVleet’s ball-handling and leadership are not available. Finney-Smith and Tate usually offer switchable defense and spot shooting. Eason’s energy, cutting, and two-way hustle are gone for at least a month.

What Durant and VanVleet Absences Mean for Houston’s Offense

Without Durant, Houston loses a go-to scorer who bends the defense with simple catches. In the half court, that means fewer clean looks off gravity alone. No VanVleet also shifts the playmaking load. Expect more initiation by wings and secondary guards, with extra dribble handoffs and back cuts to free up space.

Shot creation may now come from committee: drive-and-kick, quick swing passes, and set plays that create corner threes. Avoiding isolation traps will be key. The Rockets can still unlock good looks by moving the ball early, screening with purpose, and attacking the paint to collapse the defense.

“No Durant and no FVV — who creates shots for Houston?”

Steven Adams’ Status: The Pivot Point

Adams’ availability could reshape the game. If he plays, Houston gets one of the league’s strongest screen-setters, a bruising rebounder, and a steady defender at the rim. That’s a lot of extra possessions through offensive boards and a lot of open threes off solid picks.

If he sits, the Rockets must rebound by committee and rely on more small-ball units. That often means faster pace but tougher minutes on the glass. It also changes how they defend ball screens and protect the paint, which can force switches and rotations that tire legs late.

“If Adams can’t go, who wins the boards tonight?”

Phoenix Suns Injury Report: Allen, Williams Out and More

The Suns are also thin. Grayson Allen and Mark Williams are both out, and several other players have been ruled out according to the latest report. Even without the full list of names, the headline is clear: Phoenix will not be at full strength either.

• Out: Grayson Allen, Mark Williams (plus several others)

Allen’s absence pulls a reliable spacer and catch-and-shoot threat from the lineup. Without him, Phoenix must find threes from different sources and may lean on extra drives into the lane to kick out. Williams’ absence means fewer easy rim finishes and less size in the paint, which can tilt the rebounding battle.

Matchup Dynamics: Pace, Spacing, and the Glass

Both teams being short-handed changes the chessboard. With Houston down multiple forwards and creators, the Rockets will try to win on effort plays: early offense, timely cuts, and gang rebounding. If Adams suits up, expect more structure in the half court and a slower, more physical style. If he doesn’t, Houston may push the tempo and hunt mismatches in space.

For Phoenix, no Allen means shot creation must come with more dribble penetration and off-ball screens to free shooters. Without Williams, they may go smaller and quicker, which boosts speed but risks second-chance points on the other end. In a game like this, the team that controls missed shots often controls the mood.

“Are the Suns deep enough without Allen and Williams?”

Coaching Knobs to Turn: Rotations and Roles

Expect shorter rotations and clear role definitions. Coaches will likely ride the hot hand and reward defenders who box out and communicate. Staggering minutes becomes a must: keep a steady ball-handler on the floor at all times, and avoid dead lineups without spacing or rim pressure.

Houston’s bench wings may see extended minutes to cover for the absences of Durant, Finney-Smith, Tate, and Eason. On Phoenix’s side, guards who can shoot on the move will be valuable to replace Allen’s spacing. Both teams should test the corners early; the first side to hit a few open threes will loosen the rope on offense.

Game Within the Game: Turnovers and Free Throws

When creators sit, turnovers can rise. Crisp, simple actions will matter as much as fancy play calls. Make the extra pass, but not the risky one. Draw fouls by driving straight lines, pump-faking on closeouts, and attacking mismatches. Free throws can stabilize a short-handed offense; the team that lives at the line can control tempo.

The Bottom Line

As of the final injury report on Nov. 24, 2025, both the Rockets and Suns have to embrace a next-man-up mindset. Houston is without Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jae’Sean Tate, and Tari Eason, with Steven Adams a true game-time swing factor. Phoenix, missing Grayson Allen, Mark Williams, and others, must find points and rebounds by committee.

Injury-heavy nights don’t have to be dull. They can be revealing. We learn who defends without fouling, who rebounds in traffic, and who is brave enough to take — and make — the open shot. The first team to solve those simple tests will likely leave with the win.