VanVleet (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Clippers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
VanVleet is set to miss his first game since Nov. 11 due to a bruised right knee. Amen Thompson will draw the start at point guard in his place, and Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday are also candidates for extra work in VanVleet's absence.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Iffy to face Clippers
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VanVleet is questionable for Sunday's game against the Clippers due to a right knee contusion.
Even though a knee contusion shouldn't be anything to worry about in most cases, the Rockets are being cautious with their star floor general. The questionable tag suggests Houston will take a cautious approach regarding VanVleet's status, but a decision regarding his availability will probably be made closer to the 9 p.m. ET tipoff. If VanVleet can't go, then Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday are expected to see more minutes.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Will play Thursday
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VanVleet (knee) is available for Thursday's game against the Warriors.
VanVleet went unscathed through warmups, so the veteran floor general will be available for this contest against the Warriors. The veteran point guard hasn't missed a game since Nov. 11, and he'll keep that streak alive Thursday. VanVleet is averaging 19.1 points, 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game over his last 10 starts.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Expected to play Thursday
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VanVleet (knee), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Warriors, will go through warmups with the intention of playing, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
VanVleet is questionable due to a right knee contusion, but he is expected to suit up barring any setbacks during warmups. The veteran point guard hasn't missed a game since Nov. 11, and in his last five outings (all starts), VanVleet averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 0.6 steals across 37.6 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Questionable to play Thursday
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VanVleet is questionable for Thursday's game against the Warriors due to a right knee contusion.
The veteran floor general has been a key part of the Rockets' impressive campaign, and not having him running the offense could be a huge blow for Houston. If he doesn't play Thursday, then Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday and Amen Thompson are all candidates to see more minutes in the backcourt.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Huge regression in loss
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VanVleet registered 13 points (6-17 FG, 1-10 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 38 minutes during Tuesday's 120-111 loss to Sacramento.
After posting a season-high 38 points in his precious game, VanVleet came crashing back to Earth on Tuesday with one of his lowest totals of the season. Since joining the Rockets, VanVleet has been notoriously streaky, matching surprise triumphs with mediocre lows. It's evened out to a 16.1-point scoring average this season, but the veteran's role won't change because of an occasional poor shooting performance.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Posts season-high 38 points
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VanVleet closed with 38 points (10-19 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 13-14 FT), two rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes during Sunday's 119-116 win over the Thunder.
VanVleet turned in a masterful performance in a signature win against the Thunder. Oklahoma City tried to slow him down, but VanVleet made them pay at the charity stripe. VanVleet has successfully avoided discipline after last week's ejection, which involved an argument between VanVleet and an official about an obvious missed call.
VanVleet won't be suspended for Saturday's incident with an official that resulted in an ejection, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
The NBA acknowledged an incorrect call made against VanVleet, but the guard apologized for his unprofessionalism after the fact. He's expected to be in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Minnesota.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Ejected late in fourth quarter
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VanVleet amassed eight points (4-13 FG, 0-6 3Pt), five rebounds, five assists and one steal over 28 minutes before getting ejected from Saturday's 104-98 loss to the Trail Blazers.
VanVleet had a woeful performance Saturday, missing all six of his three-point attempts, struggling to get into a rhythm offensively and getting ejected in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Don't be surprised if VanVleet receives some kind of suspension, as he was ejected after making contact with an official and appearing to poke the referee's eye. VanVleet should continue to operate as one of the Rockets' primary options on offense, but there's no doubt he's been struggling with his shot this season, shooting 30.5 percent from deep.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Hits four threes in win
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VanVleet put up 18 points (6-14 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six assists, four steals and two rebounds over 35 minutes in Wednesday's 130-113 victory over the Pacers.
Wednesday night marked VanVleet's third time this season hitting four triples, and he also racked up his season high in steals (four). During Houston's blistering 11-5 start, VanVleet has averaged 15.8 points, 6.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.4 blocks across 34.7 minutes, and he will continue to lead the charge as the team's primary facilitator moving forward.
Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Team-high 26 points in loss
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VanVleet racked up 26 points (9-23 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal across 35 minutes during Monday's 101-100 loss to the Bucks.
VanVleet led the Rockets with a team high in points while stuffing the stat sheet Monday. However, the 30-year-old struggled from beyond the arc, where he has shot 33.3 percent across his last five outings. Despite shooting woes from outside, VanVleet has provided double-digit points, five-plus rebounds and five or more assists across each of his last five games.
Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Scores 28 in season-best game
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VanVleet recorded 28 points (10-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 28 minutes during Sunday's 143-107 victory over the Bulls.
VanVleet provided Houston with a boost on both ends of the court Sunday, leading all Rockets players in scoring while posting a team-high-tying pair of steals and finishing second on the team in rebounds and assists. VanVleet also set a new season high in scoring and has now recorded at least 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in two straight contests.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Records double-double
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VanVleet posted 18 points (7-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt), seven rebounds, 10 assists and two steals over 33 minutes during Friday's 125-104 victory over the Clippers.
VanVleet has been struggling with his shot all season long, but the veteran point guard took a step in the right direction Friday with an efficient effort that led him to posting his second double-double of the campaign. The veteran floor general came close to reaching a triple-double as well, coming up short of that achievement by just three boards. VanVleet could aim to build off this performance going forward, because even after this strong showing, he's averaging just 13.8 points per game while shooting 38 percent from the floor and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc.
