Eric Gordon to Undergo Knee Surgery, Miss Six Weeks

Houston head coach Mike D'Antoni said Gordon's knee has been bothering him since the middle of last season.

Rockets guard Eric Gordon will undergo a procedure on his knee on Wednesday, head coach Mike D'Antoni announced on Tuesday.

Gordon is expected to miss roughly six weeks, per D'Antoni. 

"Eric is going to have a procedure tomorrow morning with his knee to clean up some stuff. [He'll be out] six weeks, more or less," D'Antoni told the media at the Toyota Center. "It's been bothering him, actually, since the middle of last year, so he's probably relieved that he can clean it up, get it going and come back."

The 12-year veteran has struggled to start 2019-20. He's shooting 30.9% from the field and 28.4% from three, ranking last on the roster with a 3.4 PER through 10 games. 

Houston will face additional rotation issues with Gordon out of the lineup against the Clippers on Wednesday. Rockets forward Danuel House is doubtful for the matchup after hurting his back on Monday against the Pelicans, per D'Antoni. Houston's head coach said House's injury is "day-to-day."

Ben McLemore is expected to start on Wednesday if House is unable to play. The former Kings lottery pick started the second half against New Orleans on Monday as House sat the second half. 

Gordon's extended absence will shrink both the Rockets' bench as well as their guard lineup. Austin Rivers will likely be the first guard off the bench, and rookie Chris Clemons is expected to earn at least a small share of minutes. 

D'Antoni noted the added challenge of Gordon's absence when Russell Westbrook takes a night off. 

“It makes it a little bit tougher challenge with [Westbrook] to sit out in a back-to-back. That’s where it makes it challenging. Chris Clemons will fill in and help Austin [Rivers] with the point guard duties when Russ is not there."

Houston sits at 7–3 through 10 games, capitalizing on a weak part of its schedule. But the Rockets face a tough stretch ahead. They play the Nuggets, Blazers and Mavericks before Thanksgiving along with two contests against the Clippers. 

The Rockets' first matchup with Los Angeles is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Paul George will not play vs. Houston. Kawhi Leonard's status has not been announced