It's been a little more than two weeks since Houston Rockets power forward Jabari Smith Jr. broke his hand. The injury was set to keep Smith out for 4-8 weeks d

The Rockets lead the NBA in rebounding for the season, but they’ve been middle of the pack since losing Jabari Smith to injury. Ime Udoka has noticed.

The Houston Rockets are riding high, coming off two-straight wins against the previously NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to the two team’s run-in last week, the Cavs were the top team in the league record-wise at 36-7,

To open a road back-to-back, the Rockets are underdogs Monday at Boston. The defending champion Celtics (-6.5) enter with three wins in four games.

The Celtics will need to play well at home to prevent another deflating loss to a team they should beat on paper.

Boston hosts Houston in out-of-conference action. Monday's matchup is the first of the season for the teams. Boston is 15-8 at home, and Houston is 15-7 on the road.

Udoka took over the Rockets job ahead of the 2023-24 season and has gone 0-3 against Boston over the past season and a half. He still keeps close tabs on his former team and spoke happily about them earlier this month winning the NBA championship last season without him.

The Rockets beat the No. 1 Cavs in Houston earlier this week. Can they pull off another upset win on the road?

Third-year forward Tari Eason has been a defensive menace for the Houston Rockets, coming off the bench to provide a major boost.

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) makes a kiss gesture after hitting a 3-pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half on a preseason NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 in Houston.

The Rockets sit second in the Western Conference and just beat the Cavaliers twice in four days, knocking them from the top spot in the NBA.

The Rockets raised eyebrows around the league after sweeping a home and away back to back against the Cleveland Cavaliers last week.