
Nene joined the Houston Rockets last summer in an attempt to potentially have one last good run as his career heads towards the end of the road. The Brazilian big man joined Houston on a one-year deal and he was going to be a nice big body coming off the bench to relieve young big man Clint Capela. What many weren’t prepared for was how effective Nene was going to be for Houston, especially during their 2017 NBA playoffs run.
It’s no secret brings energy, toughness and a solid interior presence but he also showed off some athleticism with the fast-paced Houston Rockets. Nene entered Sunday’s game four against the San Antonio Spurs averaging a pretty impressive 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game during the 2017 NBA playoffs.
The 34-year-old Nene scored two early buckets in game four against the Spurs but played just two minutes before heading to the locker room. He eventually was ruled out for the remainder of the game and went to the hospital for further testing.
“He pulled his groin pretty good,” Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said of Nene after the game. “We’ll see. I don’t have more than that.”
It turns out Nene’s revitalization with the Rockets in a bench role will come to an end. He’s being shut down for the remainder of the postseason.
The Rockets released the following news in a statement.
Nenê will miss the remainder of the postseason with a left adductor tear. The Rockets medical staff is currently reviewing treatment options. An update will be provided once a decision is made.
The Rockets went on to win game four and tie the series 2-2.