In bench role, Eric Gordon returns to Rockets after shin injury

After missing three straight games with a bruised left shin, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon will make his return Saturday.

After missing three straight games due to a bruised left shin, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon made his return on Saturday night in Utah.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed the news in his pregame media session with reporters at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Though Gordon was the starter at small forward prior to his injury absence, D’Antoni on Saturday opted to continue starting Robert Covington and Danuel House Jr. as forwards next to center P.J. Tucker. That decision was made, at least in part, based on an desire to limit Gordon’s minutes to 30 or less after a layoff of over two weeks.

The Rockets haven’t yet declared a long-term starter between Gordon and House. Generally speaking, the 6-foot-3 Gordon offers more scoring and offensive potential, while the 6-foot-6 House brings more athleticism, length, and defensive versatility.

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Gordon scored a career-high 50 points in Salt Lake City during his last game against the Jazz, and his availability Saturday could be critical. The Rockets (35-20) entered trailing Utah (36-19) by just one game in the West standings, and that game will also decide any potential tiebreaker, since the teams split the first two games of the three-game series.

The lingering injury appeared to contribute to a downturn in Gordon’s performance before the All-Star break. In his first 13 games since returning from right knee surgery on Dec. 29, Gordon averaged 20.0 points in 30.4 minutes per game on 39.8% shooting from 3-point range.

In six games after the Jan. 27 injury, Gordon averaged 11.5 points in 27.2 minutes on just 22.2% 3-point shooting. The shin injury is to the 31-year-old’s left leg, which is not the one that had the prior surgical procedure.

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