Report: Luc Mbah a Moute to miss first round of playoffs with shoulder injury
The Houston Rockets were hoping to finish out the regular season without any significant injuries, but it appears they are losing a key player for at least one round of the playoffs.
Luc Mbah a Moute suffered a dislocated right shoulder during the second quarter of the Rockets’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that he is likely to miss the first round of the postseason.
After MRI this morning, Houston's Luc Mbah A Moute is likely to miss first-round of playoffs with dislocated right shoulder, league source tells ESPN. For now, there's no clear timetable on return.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 11, 2018
Mbah a Moute’s shoulder popped out as he was finishing a dunk, and he knew right away that something wasn’t right. The 6-foot-8 forward has been an important role player for the Rockets, averaging 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while contributing quite a bit on the defensive side of the ball.
Houston is deep enough at the forward position to overcome Mbah a Moute’s injury, but Chris Paul and James Harden both explained how important he is to the team after he went down. The timing of the injury is not ideal, to say the least.