Over the offseason, the Rockets were rightfully lauded as one of the top teams in the NBA, having traded for superstar Kevin Durant.

Their season hasn’t started quite like many thought, though, as they’ve suffered losses to the Thunder and Pistons.

Few faulted Houston for dropping the opener, as they went to double-overtime with the defending champs. Alperen Sengun scored 39 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored early and often, and the team’s defense generally came up clutch, though the Thunder had the last laugh.

Many expected them to bounce-back in Game 2, though, but an Eastern Conference foe in Detroit was able to steal a late win. Durant saw his best game in Rockets’ red with 37 points on 50% shooting, though Sengun and others struggled to get going offensively. Ultimately, Detroit’s five double-digit scorers were able to carry them across the finish line.

Now, the Rockets are still winless, though they’ll face a similarly woeful team in Brooklyn next.

The Nets stand at 0-3 on the season, and are slated to be one of the league’s worst teams. They employ several rookies, and are expected to vie for one of the top 2026 draft prospects. Even better for Houston, they’ll be playing on the road on the second night of a back-to-back.

Here are the injury reports for both teams ahead of Monday’s bout:

Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Left ankle

Fred VanVleet — Out: Right knee

Haywood Highsmith — Out: Right knee

Drake Powell — Out: Right ankle

Cam Thomas — Available: Nasal fracture

Danny Wolf — Out: Left ankle

Egor Demin — Out: Left plantar fascia

Ziare Williams — Out: Lower back

The Rockets are still dealing with a few injures, one of which won’t be leaving the injury report anytime soon.

Fred VanVleet suffered an ACL tear in an offseason workout, and is likely to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season.

Dorian Finney-Smith was a hopeful go for the beginning of the season, but still hasn’t made his Rockets debut after signing with the team in the offseason. Houston could certainly use his near-starter-level impact as both a shooter and defender.

The Nets will be down a few rookies in Drake Powell, Egor Demin and Danny Wolf, as well as the recently-acquired Haywood Highsmith.

The Rockets and Nets tip off at 7 p.m. CT. Houston will continue with Eastern Conference bouts against the Raptors and Celtics, before taking on an inter-state rival in Dallas in one week.