HOUSTON — Rockets guard Fred VanVleet missed Wednesday night’s game against the Utah Jazz with soreness in his knee and right ankle.
VanVleet played both games of Houston’s back-to-back at Phoenix on Sunday and at the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
The 31-year-old veteran finished with 13 points and seven assists against the Suns. But VanVleet struggled in a loss to the Lakers, shooting 2 of 14 from the field and scoring seven points to go with nine assists.
“A little bit of knee soreness and some ankle as well in the ankle he injured,” coach Ime Udoka said Wednesday. “He felt it a little bit after the back-to-back. He might not have been his best in the LA game, but he tried to play through it.”
VanVleet has played in 57 games in his second season with the Rockets, averaging 14.3 points and 5.6 assists. He missed 16 games from Feb. 3-26 and March 3-10 with a right ankle strain.
“It’s going to take some time,” Udoka said. “We will have to deal with it the rest of the season, coming off the injury.”
