Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni admitted Tuesday that there’s a chance Russell Westbrook won’t play at all in the team’s series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
D’Antoni said it isn’t clear whether Westbrook will be able to play in the Western Conference quarterfinal series, and that the team has no timetable for his return.
Mike D’Antoni on Russell Westbrook’s possible availability at some point this series: “Can’t rule anything out, but don’t rule anything in.” He says Westbrook’s quad is healing, but Rockets still don’t know a timetable for his return.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) August 18, 2020
Westbrook is definitely out for Game 1, and he doesn’t sound all that likely for Game 2 either. Beyond that, Houston will likely play it by ear and see how his injured quad is healing. His status may also be dictated by how the Rockets do, as they’ll likely have a lot less incentive to rush him back if they take a commanding series lead as opposed to if they fall behind Oklahoma City.
Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game during the regular season for Houston. He’ll be a big miss for Houston as long as he’s out, and it likely means an even bigger offensive load for James Harden.
