Donatas Motiejunas to miss rest of season with back injury, according to report

The Rockets must overcome another key injury.

The Houston Rockets' injury woes continue. Power forward Donatas Motiejunas will miss the playoffs with a back injury, reports USA Today's Sam Amick. The injury robs Houston of a key frontcourt player who had been coming into his own this season.

Motiejunas has not played since a March 25 game against the New Orleans Pelicans. There was hope that he could return before the postseason, but the injury never improved, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

The third-year Rockets power forward was in the midst of a breakout season. Motiejunas took advantage of injuries to Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones, averaging a career-high 12 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range.

But instead of building on that in the playoffs, Motiejunas becomes the latest Rocket to miss significant time with injuries. Houston has seen Howard and Jones miss over half the year and recently lost starting point guard Patrick Beverley for the season. The Rockets are in second place in the West despite the injuries, which has earned star guard James Harden significant MVP consideration.

Motiejunas' injury means more time for Jones, who recently returned from a punctured lung. Midseason acquisition Josh Smith will also see more playing time.

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