HOUSTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Veteran Houston Rockets Coach Rudy Tomjanovich will not rejoin the team on its West Coast road trip as originally planned.
He is recovering from a bladder biopsy.
The team announced Thursday that, on the advice of team physician Dr. James Muntz, Tomjanovich will remain at his home in Houston. Another evaluation will be conducted after the Rockets return from a five-game road trip after a contest against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
"It typically takes a few days to recover completely from the effects of the test procedure Rudy underwent on Monday," said Muntz. "We felt it would be in Rudy's best interest to remain in Houston and allow him to slowly return to his typical work load."
Tomjanovich underwent a cystoscopic evaluation and biopsy on Monday in an attempt to determine if the abnormality found on his bladder last week is cancerous. The 30-minute procedure revealed a superficial bladder tumor that will not require surgery.
Tomjanovich, who is in his 12th season as Rockets coach, and had never has missed a regular-season game in that capacity before this week, told his players the news after Sunday's 85-75 victory over Phoenix. Assistant Larry Smith coached the team in his absence on Tuesday against Seattle and Wednesday against Portland.
The Rockets (35-32) visit Golden State on Friday.
