Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. left Monday’s game early against the New Orleans Pelicans with a lower back contusion after falling on it during the first half.
On a drive to the basket, House left his feet and was undercut by a Pelicans defender in a failed attempt to draw a charge.
The 26-year-old shot the ensuing free throws and stayed in the game for several minutes after, but his back apparently stiffened during the halftime break — when the team announced he would not return.
The Rockets play the Los Angeles Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and potentially Paul George in their next game Wednesday back in Houston, so they could definitely use House’s athleticism, length, and defensive versatility, if possible. In postgame remarks, head coach Mike D’Antoni did not commit to House’s potential availability.
Entering Monday’s game, House was scoring 12.9 points per game on 48.7% shooting and a blistering 47.2% clip from three-point range. The native Houstonian has also averaged 5.3 rebounds in his 31.2 minutes, and his net defensive rating of 103.7 is the best of any player in Houston’s current rotation.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni announced before Saturday’s game in Chicago that he was sticking with House as his starter at small forward, even after the return of Eric Gordon from an injury absence. When House did not start the second half, D’Antoni went with Ben McLemore rather than Gordon for a starting lineup replacement, which would seem to indicate a desire to keep Gordon in a bench role.
