Image Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers Injury Report and Predicted Starting Lineups- Latest Updates on Fred VanVleet, Derrick Jones. Jr, and More

Who misses Thursday's faceoff between Rockets and Clippers? Read to find out.

Image Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets will welcome the LA Clippers for an NBA 2025-26 regular season clash on Thursday, December 11. This is going to be the first time that these Western Conference teams will meet each other in the current NBA season. The Rockets, seeded fourth in the standings, will head on the back of a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The game saw a double-digit effort from the Mavericks starters overshadowing Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr’s combined 49 points. This loss dropped Houston’s tally to 15-6 in the campaign.

On the other hand, the LA Clippers are coming off a two-game losing streak. Their most-recent defeat came at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. James Harden came up with a 34-point show, while Kawhi Leonard and John Collins dropped 32 points in total. However, Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle dropped 27 and 24 points, respectively, to hand the Clippers their 18th defeat of the season.

Both teams are coming off big losses, and in Thursday’s game, they will aim to turnaround the results of those games. Having said that, let’s get into the injury reports and expected starting lineups for both teams.

Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers Injury Report

Given below is a complete breakdown of the injury reports and expected starting lineups for Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers, scheduled on Thursday.

Houston Rockets’ Injuries

Player	Position	Injury	Status
Dorian Finney-Smith	PF	Ankle	Out
Tari Eason	PF	Oblique	Out
Fred VanVleet	PG	Knee	Out

Dorian Finney-Smith is yet to make his debut for the Houston Rockets as he underwent an ankle surgery right after signing with the team.

Tari Eason was ruled out for almost a month due to an oblique strain. He sustained injury during a blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers last month.

Fred VanVleet tore the ACL in his right knee in late September. While he was expected to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season, his latest statement suggests that he could return sooner than expected.

LA Clippers’ Injuries

Player	Position	Injury	Status
Derrick Jones Jr.	SF	Knee	Out
Bradley Beal	SG	Hip	Out

Derrick Jones Jr. is currently out with a sprained MCL in right knee last month. He is expected to undergo re-evaluation in a couple of weeks.

Bradley Beal will be out for the season as he was required to undergo a surgery to repair a hip fracture.

Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers Predicted Starting Lineups

Houston Rockets: Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr, Clint Capela, Josh Okogie, Amen Thompson

LA Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, Ivica Zubac, James Harden, Kris Dunn

Houston Rockets

LA Clippers

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.