Steven Adams
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Steven Adams of the Houston Rockets suffered a sprained ankle.
The Houston Rockets suffered a huge injury blow last Sunday after Steven Adams went down with an injury against the New Orleans Pelicans. Adams has been a huge part of the Rockets’ success this season, whether as a starter or coming off the bench.
Around two minutes into the fourth quarter, Adams went on to block Zion Williamson‘s shot. He failed to swat the ball, but he did enough to make Williamson miss his attempt.
However, Adams landed awkwardly on his left foot, and he fell in pain. He initially grabbed his left leg, but the replay showed that he badly sprained his left ankle. He couldn’t put any weight on his ankle and had to get carried off into the locker room.
Coach Ime Udoka told reporters after beating the Pelicans that Adams’ ankle was already swollen. The big man underwent an X-ray, but he wasn’t diagnosed with a broken ankle, as per Rockets Wire on USA Today.
Adams Out With Grade 3 Ankle Sprain
Ime Udok added more details about Steven Adams’ injury on Tuesday before the Rockets took on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Adams was diagnosed with a Grade 3 ankle sprain, and he has been ruled out indefinitely.
“Severely sprained ankle. I think (it’s) a Grade 3 or so, but still gathering information, opinions. But I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon,” Udoka said, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
According to Harvard Health, a Grade 3 ankle sprain indicates a full tear or rupture of the ligaments. There would be a lot of swelling, bruising and tenderness on the ankle. It’s also painful, limiting the function and range of motion, which is why Adams couldn’t put weight on it after the injury happened.
The bad news? It could take several months to fully recover from that kind of ankle sprain. If it were just a Grade 2 sprain, his recovery timeline would have only been four to six weeks.
In Adams’ absence, the Rockets will rely on Clint Capela to be the backup center. Dorian Finney-Smith is also another candidate to earn more minutes because of the injury.
NBA Insider Deemed Adams Irreplaceable
While the Rockets have the depth to survive Steve Adams’ absence, he’s more than just a body for a contending team. NBA insider Tom Haberstroh called the Kiwi center an irreplaceable player for Houston on his latest Substack entry.
“Adams, as solid as they come, transforms the Rockets on both ends of the floor. No one creates 2nd-chance opportunities and pancakes opponents on screens like Adams. He leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.5) and ranks in the 96th percentile in overall offensive rebounding impact, per CleaningTheGlass.com. Defends without fouling. He cleans up others’ mistakes,” Haberstroh wrote.
Adams’ numbers aren’t eye-popping on paper, averaging 5.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 32 games this season. His absence was felt by the Rockets on Tuesday against the Spurs.
Alperen Sengun, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela all stepped up to earn the 111-106 win. Things will get tougher as the Rockets face the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies in their next three games.