Luc Mbah a Moute Ruled Out vs. Lakers with Shoulder Injury

Houston Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute was forced to leave Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center because of a dislocated shoulder, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The veteran played only eight minutes but has been ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Mbah a Moute was going up for a dunk in the second quarter but was blocked by Thomas Bryant and appeared to jam his shoulder at the same time.

He was out from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 with the injury last time around.

When on the court, the 31-year-old has been an integral part of the Rockets' success this season. He entered Tuesday's game with averages of 7.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 60 games.

Although he only started 15 games, he is averaging 25.9 minutes per game in large part due to his defensive aptitude. The 6'8" wing can guard multiple positions, and he helped transform Houston's defense from one that ranked 26th in points allowed per game last season to eighth this year.

Losing him for an extended stretch in the postseason could be devastating, especially considering the Rockets already had the No. 1 seed locked up.

PJ Tucker and Trevor Ariza can take on more minutes at the forward spots, but depth may suddenly become an issue for the title contenders.

(CNN)