Houston Rockets reserve guard Austin Rivers will miss Saturday’s home game versus the Los Angeles Lakers with a right thumb sprain.
It’s unclear when the injury was suffered by the 27-year-old, who was first listed as out on the team’s Friday night injury report. The Rockets have yet to say whether Rivers could miss more time beyond Saturday’s game.
The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game with the Rockets (26-14) this season.
Rivers still provides capable perimeter defense for the Rockets, but he’s slumped offensively with just a 30.3% clip on 3-pointers in the 2019-20 season. In his last 17 games since Dec. 7, Rivers has shot just 38.2% overall and 25.5% on 3-pointers.
It’s not known how long the thumb on his shooting hand has been injured, but it could potentially explain some of the downturn.
With Rivers out, that likely means more minutes for guards Ben McLemore and Eric Gordon. Rookie Chris Clemons is next on the depth chart, but it seems doubtful that head coach Mike D’Antoni would go that far down his bench in a game against the West-leading Lakers (33-8).
Saturday’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. Central from Toyota Center in Houston, and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
