The Houston Rockets’ hopes came crashing down in an instant. With just minutes left in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans, center Steven Adams crumpled to the floor after what seemed like a routine defensive play—and didn’t get back up.

As the arena fell silent and teammates gathered around, one question echoed through every Rockets fan’s mind: How bad is it?

Why Did Steven Adams Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

With 9:57 remaining, the Rockets were in control with a 94-86 score at the Toyota Center. Pelicans forward Zion Williamson drove the ball to the basket with two Rockets centers waiting for him in the paint.

After sidestepping Alperen Sengun, Zion’s shot was blocked by Adams. But while coming down, the veteran big landed awkwardly and immediately grabbed his leg, rolling to the sidelines.

He was unable to put any weight on his left ankle and even tried to walk it off, but couldn’t. Teammate Jeff Green and Rockets security helped Steven Adams to the locker room, as the New Zealander couldn’t put any weight on his left leg. As important as Adams is to this team, having him go down with an injury is not ideal.

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He did not return to the game, and coach Ime Udoka told the media that Steven Adams “had an ankle sprain. Quite a bit of swelling. But nothing broken.” This was concerning since he had suffered an ankle injury.

Furthermore, Steven Adams exited the Houston Rockets’ game against the Indiana Pacers on December 29, 2025, during the third quarter after suffering a right ankle sprain.

In 22 minutes of play, he had recorded eight points, five rebounds, and one block before being ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The injury subsequently sidelined him for back-to-back contests—first against the Nets, where he was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out, and then against the Dallas Mavericks.

While the Rockets typically manage Adams’ minutes carefully during back-to-back games for general health maintenance, this particular absence was directly attributed to the acute ankle injury sustained against Indiana.

How Did Steven Adams Perform Before Leaving?

Starting the game alongside Sengun, Adams did his job of dominating the glass. In his 16 first-half minutes as a starter, he dominated the glass with 9 rebounds with a plus/minus of +13.

With him on the court, the 32-year-old gave the Rockets a 64% to 36% rebounding% advantage in the first half. With him on the bench, it was 46% to 54% to NOP.

His night ended prematurely with 5 points, 10 rebounds, 5 of which were offensive rebounds, and 2 assists. This season, he’s averaging 5.9 points with 8.6 rebounds (4.5 offensive), on a career-low 50% from the field.

How Did the Houston Rockets Adjust Without Adams?

The Rockets are now used to their multiple stars being out. Sengun, Eason, and Steven Adams all suffered right ankle sprains during the previous two-and-a-half weeks.

Coach Ime Udoka didn’t panic when Adams went down—he had an ace up his sleeve.

Enter Dorian Finney-Smith, who had been virtually invisible through three quarters with just 11 scoreless minutes on the floor.

But when his number was called in the fourth, the veteran forward flipped a switch. Finney-Smith exploded for all 8 of his points on an efficient 3-5 shooting, while also crashing the boards for a crucial offensive rebound that helped seal the game.

This season, DFS has yet to start a game, but expect him to be in the rotation going forward. With Tari Eason also dealing with ankle problems, we could see Josh Okogie get the starting role, as he did against the Timberwolves.