Robert Covington leaves Game 3 loss early after violent collision

“He got hit in the nose, and he’s bleeding pretty good,” said D’Antoni, who did not immediately know Covington’s status for Game 4.

Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington left Tuesday’s Game 3 early after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face from Lakers big man Anthony Davis. Covington stayed on the floor for a few minutes, then went to the locker room with a trainer, who held a towel over his face.

Los Angeles won the game, 112-102, courtesy of a 51-38 advantage in the second half. Covington scored 10 points (2-of-4 on 3-pointers) and grabbed five rebounds and four steals prior to his departure.

Davis stayed down on the floor for a few minutes as well, appearing to hold his right hip. Covington was nudged into Davis courtesy of a push from Kyle Kuzma, though there was no malicious intent.

In postgame comments, head coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t have a substantive update on Covington’s status for Game 4. “He got hit in the nose, and he’s bleeding pretty good,” D’Antoni said.

Any absence from Covington would be extremely significant, considering his defensive value and the fact that he’s shooting over 50% from 3-point range in the 2020 playoffs. The status of reserve forward Danuel House Jr., who missed Game 3 for personal reasons, is also uncertain.

Game 4 between the Rockets and Lakers tips off at 6:00 p.m. Central on Thursday, with a national TV broadcast on TNT. The next update on Covington’s status is likely to come at Wednesday’s practice.

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