Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet will miss his first chance to play at Scotiabank Arena against his former team, the Toronto Raptors, on Friday.
Before Tuesday's contest against the Indiana Pacers, head coach Ime Udoka said the 29-year-old will miss at least the next four games with a strained left adductor, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
The Rockets beat the Raptors at home earlier in February. VanVleet recorded 10 points and six assists in 25 minutes.
VanVleet could return before the team's final game before the All-Star break, Feigen added. The veteran guard is averaging 16.5 points, 8.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in his first season in Houston.
The Rockets started rookie guard Amen Thompson in VanVleet's place Tuesday.
VanVleet signed a three-year, $130-million max contract with the Rockets this past offseason. He developed with the Raptors from an undrafted free agent in 2016 into one of their most important players, helping the organization win its first championship in 2019.
A one-time All-Star in 2022, VanVleet averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals over seven seasons in Toronto. He holds the single-game franchise records for points (54) and assists (20), and he ranks second in made 3-point field goals in Raptors history (1,000).
