The Rockets have been without a key contributor in their last two games against the Lakers, as Danuel House remains under investigation for an alleged violation at the Orlando bubble. That may be a big reason why Houston suddenly looked flat after dominating L.A. in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series.
House is being investigated by the NBA for allegedly allowing a female COVID-19 testing official into his hotel room. The NBA has yet to announce a ruling or confirm the investigation, but House sat out Game 3 for “personal reasons” and missed Game 4 on Thursday night. The Rockets lost both games and now trail the Lakers 3-1 in the series.
The Rockets were informed on Tuesday that House and Tyson Chandler — who missed Game 3 but was cleared for Game 4 — were under investigation for potential healthy and safety protocol violations. People with knowledge of the situation told Ben Golliver of the Washington Post that the team was “blindsided” by the decision to force House to sit. There have been no discussions between NBA and Rockets officials and no actual evidence has been presented by the league.
While the NBA has emphasized playing it safe in its attempt to continue preventing the spread of the coronavirus, one source told Golliver the situation would be handled differently if it involved a superstar.
“If it was a star player, there’s no way [the NBA] would handle it this way,” the source said. “They want to make an example out of somebody.”
House has maintained that he is innocent, but the NBA appears to be forcing him into quarantine.
House is a reserve player who has had some big games in the postseason. He averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in Houston’s seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He told reporters last week that he feels he has been “slept on heavily with a pillow and a blanket” and can’t wait to introduce himself to all those who have overlooked him.
Whether House would have made a huge difference on the floor or not, it sounds like the investigation involving him may have thrown the Rockets off their game. Head coach Mike D’Antoni said there was a “lack of spirit” in Game 4 on Thursday night. Russell Westbrook said he had no explanation for why there was no “sense of urgency” for Houston.
Los Angeles Clippers star Lou Williams was forced to quarantine for 10 days in Orlando following his infamous violation, and the league could make a similar ruling with House. If that’s the case, he may not get another chance to play in Orlando.
