Friday night’s contest between the Thunder and Clippers may have been missing some of its usual star power, but Dennis Schroder made a triumphant return to the club after missing the past six games.
Schroder departed the Orlando bubble after the Thunder’s first seeding game to be with his family as his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child. Although Schroder was only gone for a few days, he was required to quarantine upon his return. He was cleared just prior to the regular season finale against the Clippers on Friday night.
Despite the absence, Schroder was sharp. He started in place of Chris Paul, who was officially listed out with a left hand sprain.
Presumably resting up for the team’s playoff series against the Houston Rockets, despite Paul’s absence, Schroder ended up playing 25 minutes. He totaled 17 points and four assists.
Dennis wastes no time in getting back to it. #DennisSchröder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/CR1Mxx9X9X
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 14, 2020
In the six games the Thunder played without Schroder in Orlando, they ended up 3-3. The Sixth Man of the Year hopeful has proven to be a very valuable member of Billy Donovan’s rotation and, despite the loss on Friday night, is widely expected to have an impact on the outcome of the Thunder’s playoff series with the Rockets.
With him in the lineup this season, entering play on Aug. 14, the Thunder had gone 40-24. The obvious hope for Donovan is that the team’s success with him in the lineup carries through to the postseason.
The Rockets may face an uphill climb, as they will have to attempt to defeat the Thunder without Russell Westbrook, who isn’t expected to be available when the series begins.
Fortunately for Billy Donovan, he doesn’t have those problems. His squad, including Schroder, expects to be ready to go.
