Rockets forward Patrick Patterson to return for limited minutes Saturday

Houston Rockets forward Patrick Patterson will be on the team's bench tonight and available to play, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:

Looks like Patrick Patterson will be available to play tonight but with limited minutes.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 29, 2012

Patterson has not played since Dec. 14, when an MRI revealed a bone bruise on his right foot. The third-year power forward averaged 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game before the injury, and routinely broke the 20-point mark in a stretch of games in late November.

There is no word of whether Patterson will actually play in Houston's Saturday game against Oklahoma City. Second-year forwards Marcus Morris and Greg Smith, who have played increased minutes since Patterson's injury, remain available to head coach Kevin McHale.

The Rockets are 16-13 after a Friday loss to San Antonio. Despite leading the league in scoring, Houston is third in the Southwest Division, eight games behind San Antonio. The Rockets host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. CT Saturday. The Atlanta Hawks visit Houston on Monday.