Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Aggravates ankle injury in return

VanVleet said after Saturday's 113-103 loss to the Kings that he re-injured his strained right ankle on the Rockets' first possession of the game, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.

VanVleet had missed 11 straight games due to the injury before he was cleared to return to action Saturday. Though he didn't face any restrictions heading into the day, VanVleet tweaked his ankle in the opening minute of the contest and was sporting a noticeable limp while exiting the locker room following the game. Despite the aggravation, VanVleet still ended up playing 35 minutes, but he struggled mightily, finishing with three points (1-8 FG, 1-7 3Pt), five rebounds, five assists and three steals. He acknowledged afterward that he was unsure if he would have to miss time because of the aggravation, so VanVleet's status will be worth tracking heading into the Rockets' next game Monday at Oklahoma City.