Houston Rockets backup big man Donatas Motiejunas has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, including the Playoffs, due to a nagging back injury.
Rockets head coach Kevin McHale broke the news Wednesday, announcing that Motiejunas wouldn’t play again for “a few months.”
Motiejunas held the fort for Houston in the pain when Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones were out.
Per the Houston Chronicle:
Motiejunas has been out the past seven games with lower back pain, but has not progressed with the rest. The team and Motiejunas have not decided whether a surgery or a more extended period of rest will be needed, a person with knowledge of the situation said. Additional examinations are planned to determine the extent of the disc injury.
“He was someone we definitely went to,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “He was able to get down in the low blocks. A lot of nights our offense slowed down, we were able to play through D-Mo, especially late. Got us baskets. Put pressure on the defense. We’re going to miss him.
“He put a lot of hard work in. It’s too bad. I feel bad for him. He is one of those guys that never misses a day. On off days, he’s in shooting. He really works hard. I know he’ll miss playing. The kid loves to play basketball.”
