VanVleet (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Raptors.
VanVleet missed Houston's entire four-game road trip due to a right ankle strain and will remain sidelined as the Rockets return home to face the Raptors on Sunday. The veteran point guard will have two more chances to suit up before the All-Star break -- Wednesday against the Suns and Thursday versus Golden State. However, barring a return to practice soon, it's unlikely VanVleet will be cleared for either of those games, so the Rockets will continue to rely on Amen Thompson and Jalen Green to play heavy minutes in the backcourt.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Week-to-week due to ankle injury
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Head coach Ime Udoka said Monday that VanVleet is considered week-to-week due to a right ankle strain, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
VanVleet injured his ankle during the Rockets' 110-98 loss to the Nets on Saturday. Additional testing over the weekend apparently revealed that his ankle injury is more than a day-to-day concern, so VanVleet appears set to miss the remaining four games of the Rockets' five-game road trip. The Rockets will presumably reassess VanVleet following the road trip, though it's unclear if he'll make enough progress in his recovery by that point to return to the court before the All-Star break. Tari Eason and Jae'Sean Tate will enter the Rockets' starting lineup Monday against the Knicks due to injuries to VanVleet and Alperen Sengun (calf). VanVleet's absence will likely result in Amen Thompson and Jalen Green taking on greater usage as the team's primary facilitators, while reserve guards Aaron Holiday and Reed Sheppard could both see their playing time increase.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Won't play Monday
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VanVleet (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Knicks.
VanVleet played only 17 minutes before being ruled out for the remainder of Saturday's loss to the Nets due to a right ankle strain. While the veteran will miss at least one game due to the injury, it's worth noting Monday's game is the first half of a back-to-back set, so he could return to action Tuesday in Brooklyn, though here's no clarification on the severity of the sprain yet. Aaron Holiday started the second half of Saturday's contest, but the Rockets may opt to start Amen Thompson or Jalen Green at point guard Monday, which would allow Tari Eason to slide into the starting lineup.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Will not return Saturday
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VanVleet (ankle) has been ruled out for the rest of Saturday's game against the Nets, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports. VanVleet finished with three points (1-4 FG, 1-4 3Pt) and two assists across 17 minutes.
VanVleet went to the locker room midway through the second quarter of Saturday's game after rolling his right ankle. He didn't rejoin his teammates following halftime and will be held out for the rest of the contest. Aaron Holiday joined the starters in the third quarter and will see a significant increase in playing time due to VanVleet's injury. Further testing should determine the severity of VanVleet's injury and his chances of being cleared to play against the Knicks on Monday.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Leaves game due to ankle injury
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VanVleet (ankle) went to the locker room in the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Nets, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.
VanVleet appeared to roll his right ankle midway through the second quarter of Saturday's game and headed to the locker room during the Rockets' timeout. Aaron Holiday will see an uptick in playing time for as long as VanVleet is out of the game.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Struggles from field in win
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VanVleet notched five points (2-9 FG, 1-7 3Pt), four rebounds, six assists and one steal across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 100-96 victory over the Hawks.
VanVleet struggled from the field, shooting under 25 percent for the second consecutive game. Although his offensive output had been trending up, it appears it could fluctuate for the remainder of the season. In 43 games played, VanVleet is averaging 14.9 points on 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, adding 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 three-pointers.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Lethal from deep vs. Cleveland
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VanVleet closed with 20 points (6-13 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes during Saturday's 135-131 victory over Cleveland.
All six of VanVleet's made field goals Saturday came from beyond the arc, and he finished as the Rockets' third-leading scorer behind Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green (26 each). VanVleet has scored at least 20 points and connected on at least five three-pointers in each of his last three outings. He'll look to carry that momentum into Monday's road game against the Celtics.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Drains seven triples in win
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VanVleet scored 26 points (8-15 FG, 7-12 3Pt, 3-3 FT), dished five assists and grabbed three boards in 40 minutes during Wednesday's 109-108 win over the Cavaliers.
VanVleet has been pretty inconsistent all year, but he's been able to string together more good games than bad ones this month, shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from deep, compared to 39.3 and 34.4 percent, respectively, on the season. Nonetheless, his scoring volume and efficiency will remain hard to trust, as he's proven over the course of his tenure with the Rockets. He'll look to stay hot from deep in Saturday's rematch against the Cavaliers.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Scores 20 points Monday
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VanVleet provided 20 points (7-15 FG, 5-13 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, two assists and six steals in 38 minutes during Monday's 107-96 loss to the Pistons.
VanVleet reached the 20-point mark for the first time since Jan. 9, and his scoring numbers have been a bit inconsistent of late. Even though he remains a key contributor on offense for the Rockets, it's worth noting that VanVleet has failed to score in double digits in four of his nine appearances during January. He's putting up 13.7 points, 5.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game in that span.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Available for Saturday
Rotowire
VanVleet (personal) will be available for Saturday's game against Portland.
After missing Thursday's game against the Kings for personal reasons, VanVleet is no longer appearing on the injury report. With this news, Jeff Green will likely return to the bench for Saturday's game, while Amen Thompson could lose some playmaking reps.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Status for Saturday unclear
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VanVleet (personal) didn't play in Thursday's game versus the Kings due to personal reasons, and the Rockets have yet to release an injury report for Saturday's contest against the Trail Blazers.
VanVleet missed his first game since Dec. 8 on Thursday due to personal reasons, allowing Jeff Green to enter the starting lineup. Fantasy managers should look out for an official injury report to clarify VanVleet's status ahead of Saturday's matchup with Portland.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Won't play against Sacramento
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VanVleet is out for Thursday's game versus the Kings due to personal reasons.
VanVleet will miss his third game of the season Thursday for personal reasons. Aaron Holiday and Reed Sheppard are candidates to receive increased playing time in his absence. VanVleet's next chance to suit up is Saturday's matchup with Portland.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Four swipes vs. Memphis
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VanVleet finished with 22 points (8-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), one rebound, four assists and four steals over 41 minutes during Thursday's 119-115 victory over the Grizzlies.
VanVleet finished Thursday's contest as the Rockets' third-leading scorer behind Alperen Sengun (32) and Jalen Green (27). VanVleet led both teams with four steals, and he has logged at least three steals in four of his last six games. Over that span, he has averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals over 38.5 minutes per contest.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Exits early Tuesday
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VanVleet bumped knees with an opposing player and checked out of the game with 3:03 remaining in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 135-112 win over the Wizards, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports. He finished with 19 points (7-15 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 12 assists, four steals, one rebound and one block across 38 minutes.
Though he asked to be taken out of the game before retreating to the locker room, VanVleet downplayed the injury after the contest, calling it "nothing serious," according to Ben DuBose of USA Today. The Rockets were up by 20 points at the time VanVleet exited the game, and Houston's other four starters were also pulled from the game at the same time. VanVleet's status will still be worth monitoring heading into Thursday's game against Memphis.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Swipes season-high six steals
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VanVleet closed Wednesday's 110-99 win over the Mavericks with five points (1-8 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and six steals across 42 minutes.
VanVleet's six steals marked a season high and was one shy of his career high. However, his shot fell apart in the process, breaking a streak of four double-digit scoring performances. The point guard has dealt with ups and downs this year when it comes to his shot. Even though his field-goal percentage is getting back on track, he can't seem to find his touch from deep. VanVleet is on pace for a career-low 32.0 percent three-point shooting mark.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Ejected against Heat
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VanVleet was ejected in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Heat, Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
VanVleet was ejected in the final minute of the fourth quarter of Sunday's game after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with a referee over a five-second inbounding violation call. He'll finish with 16 points (6-17 FG, 4-10 3Pt), seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks over 38 minutes.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Productive against T-Wolves
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VanVleet finished Friday's 113-112 loss to Minnesota with 18 points (6-16 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 1-3 FT), seven assists, six rebounds and one block across 39 minutes.
The veteran point guard continued his recent hot streak from long range, and VanVleet has gone 15-for-30 on three-point attempts over the last three contests. His overall offensive game remains inconsistent, however -- over his last 12 appearances, VanVleet's averaging 16.5 points, 5.8 assists, 4.8 boards, 3.2 three-pointers and 0.8 steals, but he's also shooting just 36.4 percent from the floor.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Strong output in win Thursday
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VanVleet finished with 25 points (8-15 FG, 7-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal over 26 minutes during Thursday's 128-111 victory over New Orleans.
VanVleet has been enduring a rough patch of late, including a four-game stretch between Dec. 11 and Dec. 22 in which he averaged 7.8 points per game while shooting 21.7 percent from the floor, but he's been turning things around of late. The veteran floor general has reached the 20-point mark in back-to-back games for the first time since a back-to-back set on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18. His December numbers still look subpar compared to his regular standards. Still, the last two games offer a glimpse of hope for fantasy managers who continue to trust VanVleet in most formats.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Puts up 20 points
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VanVleet had 20 points (8-16 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, six assists and one block in 29 minutes during Monday's 114-101 win over the Hornets.
VanVleet was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice for unknown reasons, but he was never listed on the injury report. He's had a relatively quiet December, posting averages of 14.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 2.1 three-pointers over his last eight games. During that span, he shot just 34.2 percent from the field and 24.6 percent from beyond the arc.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Absent from injury report
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VanVleet (undisclosed) isn't listed on the Rockets' injury report ahead of Thursday's game against the Pelicans.
VanVleet was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice for unknown reasons, but he'll be available to play New Orleans. In 24 appearances this season, VanVleet is averaging 15.3 points, 6.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals across 35.5 minutes.
