An away game to challenge No. 2 in the Eastern Conference! Rockets boarding photos exposed, 3 cores lead the team, VanVleet goes with the team

Tomorrow morning, November 20th, the Rockets will face the powerful Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are currently second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Detroit Pistons. The team has star players Mitchell, Mobley and center Jarrett Allen. DeAndre Hunter, introduced this year, also performed well and has secured his position as the team's starting small forward.

In addition, shooter Merrill has been in great form recently. In the previous game when the Cavaliers defeated the Bucks, he scored 20 points and 5 rebounds, and also made 6 three-pointers, making him the team's top shooter. As the core of the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell also delivered top statistics of 37 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in the last game against the Bucks; Mobley, the interior defensive powerhouse, contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

It can be said that the Cavaliers' twin tower combination is a huge threat to the Rockets' twin towers - the Cavaliers have Mobley and Allen inside, while the Rockets have Adams and Shen Jing. This game is not only a direct dialogue between the top teams in the East and West, but also a peak showdown between the twin towers of the two teams. For the Rockets, the outcome of this game is crucial: if they win, they will win five consecutive games, continue to rank third in the Western Conference, and have the opportunity to attack the second place in the Western Conference; if they unfortunately lose, the Spurs and Lakers may overtake them and rise to third in the Western Conference. Therefore, the Rockets can only strive to win this battle with all their strength and cannot afford to lose anything.

However, the Rockets are currently facing serious injuries. Veteran VanVleet has been confirmed to be unable to play due to season reimbursement; Ethan and Finney Smith are also absent. Ethan may need to be out for more than a month, and Finney Smith has no clear return timetable; the team's main power forward Jabari Smith Jr. is also doubtful due to a knee injury, and his probability of playing in this game is only 50%.

Fortunately, the other core players of the Rockets are in good condition, especially the three core players of Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperon Shenjing. In the previous game when the Rockets reversed the Magic, Shenjing and Durant both scored more than 30 points. In order to prepare for this away game, the Rockets took an exclusive plane from Houston to Cleveland today. The team also posted a boarding photo. In the photo, the three core players of Durant, Shen Jing, and Amen Thompson are leading the trip, and other role players are also included.

It is worth mentioning that although VanVleet was unable to play due to injury, he did not stay in Houston to recuperate, but went to Cleveland with the team.

This experienced veteran is almost qualified to play the role of "half coach" off the court. He can help young point guards such as Sheppard, Amen Thompson, and Davidson grow rapidly; at the same time, traveling with the team can also make him familiar with the team's latest tactical system in time to avoid being disconnected from the team after returning next season. Even if he cannot appear on the court, VanVleet's role on the bench is still irreplaceable. It can be seen from the photos that his condition is maintained quite well.

In short, this strong dialogue between the second in the Eastern Conference and the third in the Western Conference is worth watching. Both teams are missing core players: the Cavaliers' main point guard Garland is missing due to injury, and the Rockets have 3 to 4 players who cannot play. The strength of both sides is evenly matched, and the outcome of this game is highly suspenseful. It is reasonable for who can win in the end.