Tiago Splitter isn't the only Spur to be held out of tonight's game against the Houston Rockets

Tonight the San Antonio Spurs face off against the undefeated (5-0) Houston Rockets. It should be an interesting match up as the Spurs expect to be without the services of Marco Belinelli (mild strain, right groin), Tim Duncan (rest), Manu Ginobili (rest), Patty Mills (right shoulder surgery), and Tiago Splitter (tightness, right calf).

On the second night of a back-to-back, against one of the three undefeated teams left in the NBA (the others being the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors), coach Greg Popovich continues to go with the idea of resting key players (Duncan, Ginobili) in such situations.

Belinelli only played five minutes in last night's 94-92 win against the Atlanta Hawks, before leaving with a strained right groin. Splitter made his season debut against the Hawks, but played only 11 minutes after his calf muscles tightened up. He previously had missed the entire preseason and the first two games of the regular season.

Mills's timeline hasn't changed as he isn't expected to be available until January at the latest.