Houston Rockets center Clint Capela has been battling two separate respiratory illnesses during the Rockets first-round series against the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN.
Capela missed practice due to an illness days before the series started, and said that 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, per ESPN. Capela was told that it would be another four or five days before he would be fully recovered.
"It's tough, man," Capela said of the illness issues. "Especially when I try to breathe, it's hard. I'm just going to fight it the best that I can."
The illness clearly impacted Capela in Game 4 on Monday night, as he was held to just four points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes, and was a team low -20 during his time on the floor. The Jazz won the game 107-91 and avoided a sweep in the series.
Over the course of the series against the Jazz, Capela is averaging 9.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 assists in 30.5 minutes of action per game.
Game 5 between the two teams is slated for Wednesday night, and the Rockets are hoping that Capela feels a bit better by then, as head coach Mike D'Antoni has previously stated that Capela is as important to their success as any player on the Rockets' roster.
While Capela vows to continue to fight through the illnesses in order to be out on the floor with his teammates, D'Antoni will need to have a backup plan in place should the big man continue to be as ineffective as he was during Houston's Game 4 loss on Monday night.
