In an unfortunate update for the Rockets, Steven Adams went down writhing in pain during the fourth quarter of their clash tonight against the Pelicans.
Less than three minutes into the final quarter of the game, Adams collapsed while grabbing his left leg and had to eventually take help from his coaching staff to limp back to the locker room, and did not return for the rest of the night.
Steven Adams injured his knee and was carried off to the locker room 🙏 pic.twitter.com/mfZDNTKhUP
— NBAbzy (@nbabzyy) January 19, 2026
The injury to the Rockets’ center came as a result of a contested rebound with Zion Williamson, where he seemingly landed awkwardly on his left leg. Following the game, Ime Udoka spoke to the media and gave an update on Adams.
“Sprained ankle. A lot of swelling already. But nothing’s broken,” began Udoka. “Not a high-ankle sprain, not sure about anything time-wise. Got a bit of swelling and pain, obviously can’t put much weight on it,” concluded Udoka.
Dorian Finney-Smith initially replaced Adams on the court during the game, but if this results in any extended absence, then Clint Capela is likely to see more rotation minutes.
A high-ankle sprain would’ve meant a grade 3 sprain for Adams, which typically has a recovery timeline of over a month. This is a sigh of relief for Adams, considering that the Rockets’ medical staff has eliminated that possibility.
Fans are worried about the veteran center, who has a history of knee and ankle injuries, troubling his career. Fortunately for the Rockets, this is not the same knee (right knee) or even the same leg due to which he had missed the entire 2022-23 season.
Therefore, only a sprained ankle seems like the best outcome here, given how Adams responded on the court. But considering the number of injuries Adams has dealt with in his career, his injury could mean an extended stint of absence for the New Zealander.
Adams recently spoke to ‘The Athletic’ about dealing with injuries and specifically addressed his road to recovery from the PCL strain that forced him to miss the entire 2022/23 season.
“There were times when it f***ing sucked. It was no easy road,” Adams said. “There’s a lot of pressure you put on yourself, and the rehab gets really tedious from day to day.”
“It kind of feels like you’re taking a test,” Adams added on the mental pressure of physical therapy and bouncing back from a serious injury.
“You’ll be more mentally exhausted than physically. Again, it’s just walking. It’s not like you’re pushing 500 pounds or something. But you will be mentally drained at the end because of the amount of concentration it takes to get the patterns right and repeat those patterns that are healthy and efficient.”
After the 2021-22 season, Adams has not played over 60 games in a single season even once. He limped off the court tonight with five points (2-3 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, and two assists over 27 minutes.
Adams is a key ingredient in any recipe that the Rockets are cooking, hoping to contend for the title in the playoffs. The New Zealand-born veteran is a crucial part of what makes Houston the best rebounding team in the league right now (49.2 per game, highest in the league).
Therefore, they would sincerely hope the Kiwi center does not have an extended absence. The Rockets improved to 25-15 for the season following a 119-110 win over the Pelicans tonight and will now face the Spurs in their next game on Tuesday, January 20.
