Rockets injury report: Ryan Anderson practices, Tarik Black to miss road trip

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Rockets forward Ryan Anderson returned to practice on Sunday and is cleared to play against the Knicks on Monday after sitting out several days with a bruised hip.

Center Tarik Black will skip the road trip to New York and Memphis. Black had missed last week's games and practices with a sore knee. With the soreness lingering, Black was excused from the road trip to be with his family after the birth of his son on Friday.

Black is expected to serve as the Rockets' backup center on nights Nene sits out as part of the Rockets' plan to limit the veteran center's workload. But coach Mike D'Antoni said he believed Black had shown enough in the initial week of training camp to be ready in time for the season.

"We do have the other two guys (Clint Capela and Nene) ready for the first of the year and he'll be ready," D'Antoni said. "Tarik, he's smart and he knows how to play. We're not playing real complicated – pick-and-roll and give energy – and that's kind of what he needs to do. His habits and the way he plays, he'll be fine. I don't worry too much. I worry about his game shape, but because of the limited minutes, you don't have to worry about that."