Houston Rockets striker Robert Covington has passed a concussion protocol test and has no broken nose, a source told ESPN. Covington left Game 3 defeat on Tuesday after a collision with Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis.
Covington is expected to be available for Race 4 on Thursday, the source said Wednesday. The Lakers lead the series 2-1.
Covington fell to the ground with 4:50 remaining in the Rockets’ 112-102 defeat after taking an involuntary elbow in Davis’s face. Davis also fell, holding onto his hip after being hit by Covington’s elbow, but remained in the game.
“I think he was shot in the nose, and he was bleeding pretty well,” Rockets manager Mike D’Antoni said Tuesday of Covington.
The players clashed as they sought a rebound after Covington was thrown off balance by a push in the back from Lakers striker Kyle Kuzma. The back of Covington’s head seemed to hit the floor as he fell.
Covington had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals in 36 minutes before being injured. The Rockets had already lost a player in the frontcourt rotation, as sixth man Danuel House did not play for personal reasons.
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