Knee injury fears for Rockets forward Zhou
Zhou Qi of the Houston Rockets is uncertain to be ready for next week’s start of the NBA season after suffering a knee injury.
WASHINGTON: Houston Rockets forward Zhou Qi is uncertain to be ready for next week’s start of the NBA season after the Chinese left the court in a wheelchair with a left knee injury.
The 22-year-old, who stands 2.17 metres tall, suffered the injury after playing only four minutes in Houston’s 128-86 rout of the Shanghai Sharks in a pre-season exhibition contest Tuesday night.
Zhou, who played 18 games for the Rockets last season, was hurt during an awkward scramble for a loose ball in what was supposed to be a game where he could shine against a club from him homeland.
Instead, the night ended early when Zhou’s left leg was pinned under Shanghai’s Luis Scola, a former Rocket.
Zhou, who pulled down two rebounds in the contest before leaving, stayed on the floor for several minutes and was taken off the court in a wheelchair to the locker room.
Zhou, a second-round pick taken 46th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, averaged 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds a game last season for the Rockets.
“Zhou Qi has shown some good stuff,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said.
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Zhou spent three seasons in China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, helping them capture the Chinese crown in 2017.