Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is taking a leave of absence to deal with a family issue. (Allen Einstein/Getty Images)

Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is taking a leave of absence to attend to a personal matter and assistant Kelvin Sampson will coach the team, reports the Houston Chronicle. 

No details were made available to the length of the leave of absence or why McHale is taking time off from the team. McHale is in his second season with the Rockets compiling a 34-32 record last season.

“Kevin is a devoted family man who is needed back home in Minnesota at the moment,” said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said in a release. “The Rockets organization will keep Kevin and his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Sampson, a former coach at the University of Oklahoma, is also in his second season with the team. Sampson’s first game as coach will be tonight when the Rockets start a three-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale to take a leave of absence to attend to a personal matter. Kelvin Sampson will coach the team.—
Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) November 10, 2012

Despite struggling against the Spurs during the preseason, Rockets coach Kevin McHale isn’t concerned about Jeremy Lin’s performance. (Bill Baptist/Getty Images)

Rockets coach Kevin McHale isn’t too concerned about Jeremy Lin’s struggles during the preseason yet. The team’s young point guard, signed by the Rockets in July, did not play in Monday’s preseason loss to the Mavs. In Sunday’s loss to the Spurs, Lin had only 4 points in 25 minutes on 1 of 10 shooting. But McHale said Monday’s benching was planned to give Lin rest after coming back from knee surgery, and that there wasn’t any reason to be worried, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

“He’s finding his way, as always happens when you haven’t played in a long time,” McHale said. “He had surgery and took a long time off. He’s just getting his confidence back, trying to get his mojo going which is very common.”

Prior to training camp which kicked off on Oct. 2, Lin had not played since March. He underwent surgery in April to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. Lin averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game with the Knicks last year.