Houston Rockets center Steven Adams will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old was hurt on Jan. 18 during a road win over the New Orleans Pelicans. While rotating to help teammate Alperen Sengun defend forward Zion Williamson at the rim, Adams leapt to contest a shot and grabbed his left ankle as soon as he landed.
Before the injury, Adams averaged 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game. Houston leads the NBA on the boards at 49 per game, but will now rely on third-string center Clint Capela as Sengun’s primary backup. Head coach Ime Udoka is also expected to deploy forward Jabari Smith Jr. in small-ball lineups at center.
The setback adds to Houston’s injury list, which already includes starting point guard Fred VanVleet. Even so, the Rockets stand at 28-16, just two games behind the West’s No. 2 seed.
Source: ESPN
