Rockets' Eric Gordon to Return from Knee Injury vs. Nets After Missing 8 Games

Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon will return to the team's lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, head coach Mike D'Antoni confirmed.

According to Fox 26's Mark Berman, Gordon will immediately jump back into the Rockets' starting five.

Gordon missed eight games after injuring his knee during the fourth quarter of a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 29, though he wasn't concerned about long-term ramifications of the injury. 

"I got to get back to strengthening and wait until the swelling goes down," Gordon told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. "The good thing is it will be more short-term than long. I can't really do a whole lot. I'm going to try to turn this thing around as quick as possible."

After a slow start to the season, Gordon was starting to turn things around before hurting his knee. The 30-year-old shot 35.1 percent from three-point range and averaged 18.7 points in six games from Dec. 19 to 29. 

Injuries have been an ongoing problem in Houston, with Chris Paul struggling to stay healthy with a hamstring issue. Clint Capela is out for four to six weeks as well after suffering a thumb injury.

Reigning NBA MVP James Harden is carrying a heavy burden, averaging an NBA-best 34.8 points per game, but the Rockets need role players like Gordon to play up to their potential if they hope to compete for a top-four spot in the Western Conference playoffs heading into the second half of the season.