Houston Rockets power forward/center Christian Wood scored 33 points and secured 16 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season during a 146-143 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. The 26-year-old went 13-for-19 from the field, including 2-for-3 behind the arc, and 5-for-7 from the line. The UNLV product also added three assists and two blocks across 41 minutes. The performance was Wood's second 30-plus scoring outing of the season, as he is averaging 16.4 points per game. Wood has seen a dip in scoring this season after averaging 21 points last year, but is averaging a career-high 11.3 boards. The big man is also shooting 46.1% from the field, a low number for a power forward/center, and an ugly 56.3% from the line. Wood is fantasy relevant and carries additional value in double-double leagues, but he doesn't provide a ton of value outside of points and boards.

Houston Rockets center Christian Wood scored 10 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds to record his seventh double-double of the season in Wednesday's road loss against OKC. He also swatted away one shot but it was another fairly poor outing for the big guy with 4-for-14 shooting from the field and a 0-for-4 effort from deep. Wood has set his sights on becoming an All-Star, but he needs to do a lot more to achieve his goal, He's so far averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds a night with very little work in other areas. Wood is shooting only 42 percent from the field for the month and another difficult game is on the horizon for him on Saturday against a Knicks team that rebounds the ball well.

Houston Rockets center Christian Wood put in a lot of work on the glass on Saturday against Denver, finishing a 95-94 loss with 17 rebounds. This marks his career high in defensive rebounds. Wood posted a fourth consecutive double-double by getting 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field. He finished 1-for-3 from outside and 3-for-4 at the line with two assists, one steal, one block and four turnovers in 37 minutes. Wood has been a beast on the boards in recent games, but fantasy managers would no doubt love to see more scoring for him. The 26-year-old has managed to get 20-plus points just twice in nine outings this season. Getting there in Sunday's contest versus the Warriors won't be easy either, with Steve Kerr's team boasting a league-best 94.0 defensive efficiency.

Houston Rockets center Christian Wood enjoyed his battle with Anthony Davis and the Lakers on Tuesday, finishing a 119-117 road loss with a team-high 26 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Wood nailed three triples with nine attempts and shot 11-for-19 overall from the field while adding three assists and one steal to his line in 37 minutes. Wood's offensive production has been inconsistent early in the campaign, but he's a beast on the glass and currently sits fifth in the league with 12.1 rebounds per game. Thursday's meeting with the Suns should boost Wood's numbers further, especially if Deandre Ayton (leg) can't play.

Houston Rockets center Christian Wood continued to dominate the boards in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. He racked up a game-high and a season-high 17 rebounds in the contest. He also scored 16 points and dished out three assists. Wood is averaging 20.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game so far this year and he's also knocking down 2.5 threes per contest. He's had some shooting woes as he went just 6-for-16 from the field on Tuesday and he's shooting just 46.9% from the field on the year. Expect that trend to change as he's a 52.8% shooter over his career. Next up for Wood and the Rockets is a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Thursday.

Houston Rockets power forward/center Christian Wood put his myriad of skills on display during his team's convincing win over Oklahoma City on Friday, collecting 29 points and 14 rebounds across his 33 minutes. Wood was almost unguardable, shooting 12-for-18 from the floor overall, including going 4-for-6 from behind the arc. He polished off his scorching night of production with three blocked shots, showcasing the elite fantasy upside that he possesses on a nightly basis. After two favorable matchups to begin the 2021-22 year, he runs into the Celtics defense on Sunday, who stand to offer far more resistance. Still, Wood's star is only just ascending.

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said Tuesday that he isn’t sure who will be attending the June 22 draft lottery when the team finds out where it will pick in July’s draft. But based on the luck he had in his first season as GM, he joked that he’s hoping it’s not him. “It’s definitely not me,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas chimed in. “You see our injuries this year?" After finishing at the bottom of the league’s standings at 17-55 — the third-worst record in team history and worst since the 1982-83 season — Houston has a 14% chance to secure the top pick, same as Detroit and Orlando. If Houston’s pick falls outside of the top four — about a 48% chance — Oklahoma City has the right to swap Miami’s No. 18 pick for it. Stone was noncommittal on his plans for the future, including whether or not Houston may try to package its three first-round picks for an established veteran. He was, however, adamant that the team doesn’t plan to intentionally perform poorly to accumulate... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden forced his way out of Houston without bringing the Rockets an NBA title. Now that he’s in Brooklyn, the Rockets hope the huge haul of draft picks they received in the trade will allow them to chase championships in the future. “Our goal remains unchanged,” general manager Rafael Stone said Sunday, addressing the trade for the first time. “I think we’re well-positioned to develop something really special.” Houston dealt Harden to the Nets last week, a day after he said the Rockets weren't “good enough,” in a four-team trade that also involved Cleveland and Indiana. The Rockets didn’t receive a franchise cornerstone in the deal but got many draft picks that should position them to build a talented roster. The Rockets received Brooklyn’s unprotected first-round picks in 2022, 2024 and 2026 and the right to swap first-round selections with the Nets in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. Houston also got Milwaukee’s 2022 first-round pick from Cleveland. Houston acquired three... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden doesn’t want to be a Houston Rocket. On Wednesday, the Rockets told him they didn’t want him at practice after his inflammatory comments about the team. “We felt it was best for James and best for the group for him not to come to practice,” first-year coach Stephen Silas said. The disgruntled superstar had remained quiet through months of speculation that he is unhappy in Houston. Numerous reports have indicated he’s looking to be shipped to Brooklyn to play with former Oklahoma City teammate Kevin Durant, and other reports surfaced Wednesday that Philadelphia, where former Houston GM Daryl Morey now works, is also involved in trade talks. Harden finally voiced his frustration on Tuesday night after the second straight blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. “We’re just not good enough ... I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can,” Harden said after the game. “I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed.”... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden doesn’t want to be a Houston Rocket. On Wednesday, the Rockets told him they didn’t want him at practice after his inflammatory comments about the team. “We felt it was best for James and best for the group for him not to come to practice,” coach Stephen Silas said. The disgruntled superstar had remained quiet through months of speculation that he is unhappy in Houston. Numerous reports have indicated he’s looking to be shipped to Brooklyn to play with former Oklahoma City teammate Kevin Durant. He finally voiced his frustration on Tuesday night after the second straight blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. “We’re just not good enough ... I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can,” Harden said after the game. “I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed.” The Rockets begin a three-game road trip on Thursday night with the first of two straight games against San Antonio. Silas said Harden’s status for... [More]

James Harden remains a Houston Rocket with the start of the NBA's regular season just two days away. How he feels about that is unclear, with the superstar refusing to discuss his future or answer any questions about consistent reports that he wants to be traded. Harden reported late to camp as rumors swirled that he no longer wants to play for the Rockets and hopes to be dealt. He played in Houston’s last two preseason games and talked about the season on Monday as the Rockets prepared for their Wednesday opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Beard had nothing to say when asked if he feels better about the situation in Houston now than he did when he arrived at camp, responding with a terse, “next question.” The eight-time All-Star and 2018 MVP also seemed annoyed when asked if he is where he wants to be after missing the first week of camp. “We keep talking about what I missed,” he said. “I think everybody, the entire league is in catch-up mode in a sense of we only had a... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The timing eventually worked out for Troy Weaver and the Detroit Pistons.The Pistons introduced Weaver as their new general manager on a video conference Monday. The former Oklahoma City Thunder executive joins a Detroit team that was interested in him previously — and he takes over a GM spot that was vacant for a couple years.“We had actually tried to talk to Troy a couple years ago. OKC wasn't quite ready to let him go,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said. “So he's been on our radar for a while.”The Pistons shook up their front office two years ago. Stan Van Gundy had been the coach and team president, and after Detroit moved on from him, there was no official GM. Ed Stefanski took over the front office, and Dwane Casey was hired as coach.Now Weaver will fill the GM role, with Stefanski remaining as a senior advisor to Gores.“Troy, Ed and Dwane will work on a day-to-day basis with each other,” Gores said. “Troy will have normal, and even higher than normal, GM responsibilities.”Weaver... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons finally broke up their trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.Only Griffin remains — and the 2019-20 season was yet another reminder of how fragile the star forward’s health has been.Griffin played just 18 games this season because of knee problems. The Pistons were 20-46 and well out of playoff contention when the coronavirus interrupted the season in March. By then, Detroit had traded Drummond and bought out Jackson, two clear steps toward a rebuild for a franchise that has been stuck in neutral for about a decade.The season was a step backward for the Pistons, who made the playoffs in 2019 thanks to a marvelous performance by Griffin. He averaged a career-high 24.5 points per game in 2018-19, then followed that with a career-worst 15.5 this season in limited action.“Obviously, this past season was I guess disappointing — not really being healthy, and for the most part, a lot of our guys not being healthy," Griffin said. “Didn't really... [More]

James Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Company and owner of the New York Knicks, has tested positive for the coronavirus.The Knicks announced Dolan’s diagnosis Saturday night. It is not clear when he was tested or when he received the diagnosis.Dolan is the first U.S. major pro sports owner known to have tested positive for the virus. He also owns the NHL's New York Rangers, along with other venues like Radio City Music Hall, The Hulu Theatre and The Chicago Theatre.“The Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus,” the Knicks' statement said. “He has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms. He continues to oversee business operations.”New York has been the hotspot for the pandemic in the U.S.All 50 U.S. states have reported some cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, but New York has the most, with over 52,000 positive tests for the illness and more than 700 deaths.... [More]

It has been just one week.That’s all. Just one full week since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, just one full week since the NBA became the first of the North American pro sports leagues to suspend operations, one week since sports essentially stopped.The NHL quickly followed the NBA’s lead and suspended play. Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball shuttered as well. Golf lasted a day before deciding it couldn’t still play, and auto racing screeched to a halt before the weekend. The NCAA basketball tournaments were called off and college sports for the entirety of the academic year soon followed.The situation, when it comes to the pro sports at least, is different for the NBA and NHL. The playoffs were looming, roughly a month or so away. They’re on hold now, just like virtually everything else in the world, and the only opponent for the best basketball and hockey teams on the planet is an invisible foe called COVID-19 — the coronavirus, a pandemic that... [More]

It has been just one week.That’s all. Just one full week since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, just one full week since the NBA became the first of the North American pro sports leagues to suspend operations, one week since sports essentially stopped.The NHL quickly followed the NBA’s lead and suspended play. Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball shuttered as well. Golf lasted a day before deciding it couldn’t still play, and auto racing screeched to a halt before the weekend. The NCAA basketball tournaments were called off and college sports for the entirety of the academic year soon followed.The situation, when it comes to the pro sports at least, is different for the NBA and NHL. The playoffs were looming, roughly a month or so away. They’re on hold now, just like virtually everything else in the world, and the only opponent for the best basketball and hockey teams on the planet is an invisible foe called COVID-19 — the coronavirus, a pandemic that... [More]

It has been just one week.That’s all. Just one full week since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, just one full week before the NBA became the first of the North American pro sports leagues to suspend operations, one week since sports essentially stopped.The NHL quickly followed the NBA’s lead and suspended play. Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball shuttered as well. Golf lasted a day before deciding it couldn’t still play, and auto racing screeched to a halt before the weekend. The NCAA basketball tournaments were called off and college sports for the entirety of the academic year soon followed.The situation, when it comes to the pro sports at least, is different for the NBA and NHL. The playoffs were looming, roughly a month or so away. They’re on hold now, just like virtually everything else in the world, and the only opponent for the best basketball and hockey teams on the planet is an invisible foe called COVID-19 — the coronavirus, a pandemic that... [More]

The NBA is considering an idea where some players would be quarantined or isolated for purposes of being able to compete against one another and provide basketball fans with some sort of diversion from the coronavirus pandemic.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that notion as one of several items under consideration by the league right now during the shutdown caused by the pandemic. Silver made the comments in a televised interview on ESPN.“Maybe it’s for a giant fundraiser or just for the collective good of the people,” Silver said. “You take a subset of players and is there a protocol in which they can be tested and quarantined and isolated in some way. ... People are stuck at home. They need a diversion. They need to be entertained.”Silver offered no predictions on when NBA games would resume. He said the league may, when conditions allow, resume games but without fans — a move the league was going to make last week before Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 and prompted... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Four Brooklyn Nets players, including Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total to seven known players in the NBA.The Nets did not name the players Tuesday, but Durant told The Athletic he was one of them, saying: “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We're going to get through this.”The Nets announced that one player is exhibiting symptoms, while the other three are asymptomatic. All four players have been isolated and are under the care of team physicians.“The health of our players and staff is of the highest priority to the organization and the team is doing everything within its power to ensure that those affected receive the best care possible,” the Nets said in a statement.Brooklyn's most recent game was March 10 in Los Angeles against the Lakers. After the Nets announced their test results, the Lakers — who have the NBA's second-best record this season and two of the game's biggest stars in LeBron James and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Four Brooklyn Nets players, including Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total to seven known players in the NBA.The Nets did not name the players Tuesday, but Durant told The Athletic he was one of them, saying: “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We're going to get through this.”The Nets announced that one player is exhibiting symptoms, while the other three are asymptomatic. All four players have been isolated and are under the care of team physicians.“The health of our players and staff is of the highest priority to the organization and the team is doing everything within its power to ensure that those affected receive the best care possible,” the Nets said in a statement.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast... [More]