Eric Gordon 'Progressing' Toward Return From Knee Surgery

Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said guard Eric Gordon is "progressing great" toward a return to the court after undergoing knee surgery on Nov. 12.

Gordon said he hopes to return to the floor by Christmas when he met with the media on Nov. 18. D'Antoni didn't set a date for Gordon's return on Monday, but he did deliver optimistic news on the guard's rehab. 

“Everything is progressing great,” D’Antoni said before the Rockets' 109-107 win at the Toyota Center on Monday. “We’re getting into the days, I don’t know if it’s day-to-day yet, but it’s week-to-week, for sure. He’s closer."

The Indiana product said he had been dealing with knee pain since last season. Gordon did not think surgery was required in the summer, but he changed course nine games into 2019-20. Gordon previously played in 212 of 246 regular-season games in his first three years with the Rockets.

D'Antoni said Gordon will play limited minutes upon returning to Houston's rotation.

“There’ll be some games when [Gordon] ramps up when he does come back," D'Antoni said. "He’ll play 20 minutes or 15 minutes. It depends on him. He could play great right at first. It could take a while. You never know.”

Gordon struggled mightily in his first nine games of 2019-20. He is averaging a career-low 10.9 points per game this season while shooting 28.4% from three.

The Rockets are 12–6 without Gordon. They enter Thursday's contest against the Clippers fifth in the West at 18–9. Tip-off from the Staples Center in Los Angeles is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT.