After missing Houston’s previous nine games with a sprain to the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his right knee, rookie wing Cam Whitmore rejoined the playing rotation of the Rockets during Sunday’s home game versus the rival Dallas Mavericks.
Whitmore had not previously played since March 10 in Sacramento.
To test the knee, Whitmore went through strenuous workouts after Friday’s gameday shootaround in Utah and an intense, simulated game, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Once completed, Whitmore reported “no pain” and “feeling back to normal.”
He will initially be limited to a maximum of about 20 minutes per game, head coach Ime Udoka said prior to Sunday’s game.
Cam Whitmore hits his first shot since coming back from injury pic.twitter.com/ta3QmrCCFp
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) March 31, 2024
Houston (38-35) entered Sunday with 11 straight wins and a 13-1 record in March (best of any NBA team), yet they still trailed Golden State (39-34) by a game in the race for the final Western Conference postseason spot. Thus, the Rockets need all the help they can get, particularly versus a quality opponent like the Mavericks (44-29).
Drafted at No. 20 in the NBA’s 2023 first round, Whitmore has consistently provided a spark off the bench for Houston this season.
An athletic and powerful force at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Whitmore is averaging 14.9 points (45.4% FG, 34.3% on 3-pointers) and 4.6 rebounds in just 20.1 minutes over his last 19 games played.
