Four games after returning from a seven-week injury absence, starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. again appears set to miss time for the Houston Rockets. This time, the absence shouldn’t be as long.
Porter is listed as out for Thursday’s road game at Indiana due to what the team is calling a left thigh contusion. Porter appeared to suffer the injury during a collision in Tuesday’s home loss to Brooklyn, and his timetable beyond Thursday’s absence is unclear.
“It’s unfortunate,” head coach Stephen Silas said at Wednesday’s practice, via the Houston Chronicle. “It’s unfortunate it happened, but it’s unfortunate that we’ve been in this situation before.”
For Porter, it’s the same left leg that was already compromised due to his previous left foot contusion, which he expects to cause at least some pain for the rest of the 2022-23 season. That could make the return prognosis a bit more complicated. Looking beyond Thursday, the team has yet to comment on an expected timetable.
The tip between the Rockets (15-50) and Pacers (29-37) is set for 6 p.m. Central on Thursday night. With Porter sidelined, Jae’Sean Tate appears the most likely replacement in the starting lineup.
On a per-game basis, Porter leads Houston in assists (5.7) and ranks second behind backcourt mate Jalen Green in scoring (18.5 points).
