Houston Rockets big man Clint Capela had a rather underwhelming performance during his team’s Game 4 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night, as he finished with just four points and seven rebounds while making just one of his six shots.
Capela, who missed a practice due to illness days before the series started, said he was diagnosed with adenovirus and a klebsiella infection during a Sunday visit to a Salt Lake City doctor, who prescribed medication and eye drops.
Capela, whose eyes were extremely bloodshot, was told it would be another four or five days before he would be fully recovered.
"It's tough, man," Capela told ESPN after being held to four points on 1-of-6 shooting and seven rebounds in the loss. "Especially when I try to breathe, it's hard. I'm just going to fight it the best that I can."
It was a season-worst scoring total for Capela, who averaged 16.6 points and 12.7 rebounds during the regular season. He grabbed fewer than seven rebounds only twice this season.
The Rockets were outscored by 20 points in Capela's Game 4 minutes. It was his second worst plus-minus of the season behind a minus-22 in a Dec. 6 loss in Utah.
Monday was the first sign of Capela showing off any effects of the illness; he has been solid through the first three games in the series. He was averaging 11.3 points and 12 rebounds, with two blocks.
Capela needs to drink his fluids and rest up as the Rockets prepare for the next challenge. To finish off this series with Utah, they’ll need Capela at his best.
Game 5 against the Jazz is Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. CT and the Rockets will want to finish off this series as quickly as possible to prepare for Round 2, where they’ll probably be facing the Golden State Warriors.
