Houston Rockets Luc Mbah a Moute will make his 2018 NBA Playoff debut in Game 1 against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, head coach Mike D’Antoni said, per Rockets TV and Radio play-by-play personality Craig Ackerman:
Per MDA, Luc Mbah a Moute will play today as the Rockets begin their series with the Utah Jazz
— Craig Ackerman (@ca_rockets) April 29, 2018
Mbah a Moute missed the last game of the regular season, plus the entirety of with a dislocated right shoulder.
Houston’s best wing defender (probably, although P.J. Tucker is also very good), Mbah a Moute adds another dimension to the Rockets. He’s a long, tough, gritty defender, and is a passable shooter.
Mbah a Moute is far from the Rockets’ best scorer, but he, Tucker, Clint Capela and Chris Paul were the primary reasons the Rockets had the NBA’s sixth-best defense this season. Mbah a Moute will probably play a majority of his minutes against Joe Ingles, but the Rockets could also sic him on rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell.
Mbah a Moute, 31, had a good regular season for the Rockets, averaging 7.5 points, three rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.6 minutes per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3-point range.
