Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon may have suffered a bad ankle injury.
While much of the safety concerns inside the NBA bubble center on COVID-19, there is always the looming threat of players getting injured in the act of playing actual basketball. That appears to be the case for Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon who suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday night’s scrimmage.
Gordon laid on the court after landing awkwardly on his left ankle. He was slow to get up and had to be helped off the court. Gordon wasn’t able to put much weight on his leg when he got on his feet.
You can watch the vide of the Gordon injury in the clip below. It’s not entirely graphic, but if you’re squeamish in the least when it comes to ankle injuries, don’t play the clip. Or play it, but shield your eyes and listen to the commentary.
The Rockets need Eric Gordon healthy to make noise in the playoffs.
At first look, Gordon steps on the Boston Celtics player and it didn’t look overly worrisome or concerning. But at the same time, Gordon has had a history of injuries, and it’s easy to dismiss pain while watching a player from the comfort of our couches.
The Rockets resume their season on July 31 against the Dallas Mavericks and it’s safe to assume Gordon will not be in the lineup with the rest of his teammates based on his reaction to this injury.
Ankle injuries are always tough to pinpoint a specific timeline to return to action. Every player is different and depending on the location of the injury, the timeline for recovery can take longer if it’s a dreaded high-ankle sprain.
For the Rockets to make noise in an ultra-competitive Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, they’ll definitely need a healthy Gordon to complement the rest of the roster and give Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook some help and knock down some big 3-pointers to space out the court as they face bigger lineups.
The last game before the playoffs begin is on Aug. 14, so Gordon has a little more than two full weeks to get back in shape and healthy for the playoffs. That may be enough time for him to return pending the results of an MRI.