Houston Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon will return to the Rockets' lineup on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ironically enough, the last time we saw Gordon play for the Rockets was on Nov. 11. versus the Pelicans. The guard underwent an MRI on his knee the next day and it showed debris.

Gordon underwent surgery and he's been out for the Rockets ever since.

Speaking to reporters after practice on Friday, Gordon admitted that he's been playing through knee pain “for a while.” The former Sixth Man of the Year winner is glad the surgery took place and he's excited to get back out there with his Rockets teammates:

“I’ve been playing with this injury for a while and it’s been irritating me for a while,” Gordon said, via The Athletic. “I’m very anxious and excited to get out there and play the game how I play it. It’s gonna be fun and it’s gonna take me time to get where I want, but it’s a good step to get back to playing.”

Eric Gordon scored a season-high 17 points while shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc versus New Orleans on Nov. 11. He’s averaging 10.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game this season for the Rockets while shooting 30.9 percent overall, 28.4 percent from the 3-point line and 64.3 percent from the charity stripe.

The Rockets are 21-10 on the season, good for fourth place in the Western Conference standings. They take on the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, looking to get back in the win column after losing to the Golden State Warriors on Christmas.

Gordon signed a four-year, $76 million extension with the Rockets this past summer, reaffirming his commitment to stay in Houston long-term, where he has proven to be a good fit since signing there in the summer of 2016. The Rockets will need Gordon to play at a high-level once the playoffs start if they want to win the championship.

With James Harden and Russell Westbrook leading the way, the Rockets have a good chance of winning it all.