Fred VanVleet has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Thunder with a right knee issue. The Rockets will play without their starting guard, and Reed Sheppard and Steven Adams are also out.
What happened
Fred VanVleet is out for Saturday's game against the Thunder with a right knee issue. He was ruled out on the injury report at 1:24 PM ET on Sat, Oct 31. The report did not list a previous status. On Oct 24 he was listed as out with the same right knee issue, and he was cleared on Oct 25. The report's comment points to his last game. He had 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 4-of-9 from three and 6-of-6 at the line, plus six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 29 minutes. That came in Wednesday's 132-100 win over the Bucks.
What it means for the Rockets
Houston plays the Thunder at 8:30 PM ET Saturday on NBA TV. The Rockets are 5-1 and the No. 2 seed, and they lost their last game. In five games, VanVleet has averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 30.4 minutes. Houston is 4-1 with him and 1-0 without him. Reed Sheppard averaged 23.4 minutes and 10.5 points in games without VanVleet, but he is also out with a back issue. Steven Adams is out with a right calf issue. That leaves more of the ball with Amen Thompson, who has averaged 34.8 minutes and 17.7 points in those games, and Marcus Smart, who has averaged 21.8 minutes and 7.7 points. Alperen Sengun (24.5 points) and Kevin Durant (23.3 points) carry the scoring.
What to watch
The injury report lists Nov. 2 as VanVleet's expected return, so he is not set to play Saturday. Watch the next report for any change from out. No other timeline has been announced. With Sheppard and Adams also out, Houston will be short in both the backcourt and the frontcourt against the Thunder. If VanVleet returns on that date, his minutes will be worth watching. This is his second time listed as out with the right knee issue in eight days.
Is Fred VanVleet playing vs the Thunder on Saturday?
No. He is listed as out for Saturday's 8:30 PM ET game against the Thunder with a right knee issue.
When will Fred VanVleet be back?
The injury report lists Nov. 2 as his expected return. No other timeline has been announced.