Rockets star Christian Wood sidelined indefinitely with right ankle sprain

Rockets center Christian Wood sprained his right ankle in Thursday’s game and will be “re-evaluated on a weekly basis,” according to a team announcement late Friday. They did not disclose the grade of the sprain. According to an earlier update by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Houston was concerned that Wood could be “sidelined for an extended period.”

The Rockets have four games in the next six days, which seems to be the bare minimum for Wood to miss. However, considering that it’s a reinjury to a previous sprain, expect the team to err on the side of caution.

Now 25 years old, Wood is averaging 22.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game in the 2020-21 season. In a breakout year that has earned the 6-foot-10 big man consideration for both the All-Star Game and Olympics, he’s shooting 55.8% overall and 42.1% on 3-pointers.

With Wood sidelined, veteran center DeMarcus Cousins will start for the Rockets. When Wood missed three games after initially spraining his right ankle on Jan. 20, Cousins took the reins and averaged 17.3 points (40.9% on 3-pointers), 14.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Houston is hoping for that form to continue over a potentially longer period, starting with Saturday’s home game versus San Antonio.

By moving Cousins to the starting lineup and the possibility of an extended absence by Wood, the Rockets don’t appear to have a traditional backup center on their roster. Thus, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Houston explores a potential free-agent signing in the days ahead.

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