Rockets' Eric Gordon: Will not play Friday

Gordon will be held out of Friday's preseason finale against the Spurs for rest purposes, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

In addition to Gordon, James Harden, Clint Capela and Trevor Ariza will get a breather as coach Mike D'Antoni looks to keep some of his key players fresh for the regular-season opener. Gordon's absence in particular should open up more playing time for K.J. McDaniels, Sam Dekker and Bobby Brown.