With Carmelo Anthony starting and the Rockets without James Ennis III and James Harden, coach Mike D'Antoni had to juggle his rotation, in ways he did not expect in the second week of the season.
Anthony had been playing as the backup power forward, replacing P.J. Tucker and then playing with Tucker when he returned to replace center Clint Capela.
D'Antoni guessed Anthony played more minutes with Tucker and Capela on the floor in Wednesday's game than in all of the practices since the start of training camp a month earlier combined.
"They would slip in there sometimes in practice," D'Antoni said.