Despite having long since locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage throughout the 2018 NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets have mostly continued to play their best players down the stretch, with reigning Coach of the Year Mike D’Antoni preferring to keep his key contributors in rhythm in hopes of entering the postseason this weekend in top form. That approach came back to bite him on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers — a game in which Houston had nothing to gain, and may have lost defensive stalwart Luc Mbah a Moute.

With just over seven minutes to go in the second quarter and the score tied at 32, Mbah a Moute set a ball screen for Rockets star James Harden and then rolled to the basket. Harden set him up with a bounce pass in stride, and Mbah a Moute sliced to the rim, where he was met by Lakers center Thomas Bryant. Mbah a Moute powered through the defender, throwing down a right-handed tomahawk dunk … but immediately stiffened up upon landing and reached for his upper right arm, a very bad sign for a player who earlier this season missed a month after suffering a dislocated right shoulder.

[NBA Playoffs Bracket Challenge: $1M for the perfect bracket]

As soon as they regained possession, the Rockets called timeout. By that time, Mbah a Moute was already on his way to the locker room to get checked out. Shortly thereafter, Houston confirmed the fears:

.@mbahamoute out with a dislocated right shoulder. Will not return. — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 11, 2018





After the Rockets finished off a 105-99 win, D’Antoni sounded an optimistic note, but didn’t have much in the way of a concrete update to offer:

Mike D'Antoni said that Luc Mbah a Moute will undergo an MRI on his dislocated right shoulder and that the severity of the injury isn't known yet. “I think it's less [severe than his previous dislocated right shoulder injury] but I don't know," D'Antoni said after the game. — Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 11, 2018





After that MRI, it remains unclear when the Rockets might be able to expect Mbah a Moute back on the court … but according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it probably won’t be for at least a couple of weeks.

After MRI this morning, Houston's Luc Mbah A Moute is likely to miss first-round of playoffs with dislocated right shoulder, league source tells ESPN. For now, there's no clear timetable on return. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 11, 2018





You’d be forgiven if Mbah a Moute’s not the first name you think of when you think about the Rockets. On a team led by the league’s likely MVP in Harden and a nine-time All-Star in point guard Chris Paul, a 10-year vet who’s averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in his career doesn’t necessarily constitute demand much headline space. But the 31-year-old from Cameroon’s a vital defensive cog for a Rockets team that, while known for its offense, ranks sixth in the NBA in points allowed per possession.

Mbah a Moute primarily comes off the bench for Houston, with only 15 starts in his 69 appearances this season. In the short term, the Rockets’ sheer array of offensive talent ought to help them withstand his absence should he miss the opening round of the playoffs, and maybe longer. But quiet as it’s kept, the journeyman who’s played for six teams in the last six seasons has been one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA this year:

Via @knarsu3 defensive dashboard, here's just how versatile LRMAM is. One of just 7 players in the league guarding PG-SG-SF-PF on at least 15% of his possessions. pic.twitter.com/XT8UEyeu5a — Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) April 11, 2018





At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, tremendous defensive instincts, a veteran’s savvy about where to be on the floor, and the strength to play up a spot in the lineup against bigger power forwards, Mbah a Moute has been an integral piece of a Rockets defense that’s worked all season long on switching assignments against opponents who like to play small, run defenders through screens, and try to muck up schemes with crossmatches. Like, for example, the Golden State Warriors, the defending NBA champion the Rockets have been constructed to dethrone.

Mbah a Moute was pretty great against the Warriors this year. He averaged 14 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes per game in his two appearances against Golden State during the regular season, shooting 10-for-15 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Houston outscored the Dubs by 17 points in Mbah a Moute’s 56 minutes against them this season. And Golden State’s one win over the Rockets came back in January, while — you guessed it — Mbah a Moute was sidelined by his first right shoulder injury of the season.