Starting with Wednesday and Thursday’s matchups in Milwaukee and Indiana, Eric Gordon will begin playing in both ends of back-to-backs for the Houston Rockets. It’s a big change for the veteran guard, who turns 33 years old on Christmas Day (i.e. this Saturday).
“I’m playing both games,” Gordon tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m definitely looking forward to that. I’m definitely playing this upcoming back-to-back, for sure.”
The timing is very helpful to the Rockets, whose next six games through Jan. 1 are all part of back-to-backs. Based on the previous policy, Gordon would have been in line to miss three of those six games.
In their earlier injury reports, the Rockets had consistently listed Gordon as out with right groin tightness for half of all back-to-backs. That represents the injury Gordon suffered last March that ended his 2020-21 season, and presumably, it was part of the team’s plan to gradually ramp up his activity level in 2021-22. But now that the regular season is two months old, Gordon tells Feigen that he has been “feeling pretty good” all year, and Houston is ready to further increase his availability.
A 6-foot-3 guard, Gordon has emerged as an elite “3&D” player this season, shooting 44.5% on 3-pointers and consistently holding his opponents to among the NBA’s lowest shooting percentages. In all, Gordon averages 14.7 points (48.7% FG) and 3.3 assists in 29.7 minutes.
When the full Houston roster is healthy, head coach Stephen Silas has indicated that Gordon is likely to start in a three-guard backcourt that also consists of Kevin Porter Jr. and rookie Jalen Green.
Rockets' Eric Gordon to resume playing both ends of back-to-back sets https://t.co/IS6nVja8zn via @houstonchron
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 21, 2021
