Reserve guard Austin Rivers could make his return to the Houston Rockets rotation in Monday’s home game versus Oklahoma City.
Rivers missed Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with what the team listed as a sprained right thumb. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game this season.
In pregame remarks Saturday, Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said the injury occurred in Tuesday’s loss at Memphis, adding that Rivers probably shouldn’t have played in Wednesday’s game versus Portland. Against the Blazers, Rivers made just 1-of-5 shots (20%) in 18 minutes.
D’Antoni’s comments:
He said the Memphis game, he got some ligament damage. … He probably shouldn’t have played the next game. He’ll be out this game, but he may be back Monday. We’ll see.
The next update on Rivers’ status should come when the Rockets practice at Toyota Center on Sunday afternoon.
While Rivers still offers capable perimeter defense, the 27-year-old has slumped offensively for much of the 2019-20 season with just a 30.3% overall clip on 3-pointers. In his last 17 games since Dec. 7, Rivers has shot just 38.2% overall and 25.5% on 3-pointers.
Nonetheless, for a Houston team that has now lost four of five games and three straight overall, the Rockets clearly need as many options as possible for D’Antoni’s bench as they try to break the skid.
Against the Thunder in particular, Rivers’ on-ball defense could be useful to help defend a deep group of attacking guards led by Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Tip-off between the Rockets (26-15) and Thunder (24-19) is set for 4 p.m. on Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Toyota Center.
