This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Rudy Gobert has been upgraded from "out" to "questionable" to play tonight in Houston. Center has been out since Dec. 2 with an MCL injury.

Gobert, the anchor of the Jazz's defense, was averaging 9 points and 10 rebounds a game before his injury.

Gobert suffered a grade-2 MCL sprain in a Dec. 2 practice when a teammate rolled on his leg when diving for a loose ball.

The injury was initially feared to be worse, so there was relief when an MRI revealed only a sprain.

Without Gobert in the lineup, the Jazz have given more time to Jeff Withey and Trey Lyles, both of whom have responded with steady improvement over the last month. Gobert has been doing basketball activity for the last few weeks.

With Gobert in the lineup, the Jazz have one of the best defenses in the NBA. He's averaging 9.2 points and 11 rebounds a night, to go along with 2.6 blocked shots a game.

— Aaron Falk and Tony Jones