Early in the week, a report from The Athletic‘s Shams Charania indicated that the Houston Rockets were hopeful that injured All-Star guard Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) could return to action as soon as this weekend. That timetable seemed to point to Saturday’s Game 3.
But with Houston winning the first two games of its playoff series, head coach Mike D’Antoni said that while Westbrook was making good progress in his recovery, that advantage allowed them to be cautious.
Now that the Rockets lost Game 3, and Oklahoma City is within a game of tying the series, could that philosophy change for Monday’s Game 4?
When asked after Game 3’s conclusion, D’Antoni didn’t rule it out.
I don’t know yet. I’m sure he’s going to test it. He’s working every day, getting a little bit better. So we’ll see. Today, I have no clue. His status didn’t change from start of the game, so we’ll see in a day or two.
Coach Mike D’Antoni asked about @russwest44’s status for Game 4 on Monday. @HoustonRockets #OneMission pic.twitter.com/vsX3nUdFMF
— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) August 23, 2020
D’Antoni had said in previous days that new MRI imaging showed improvement in Westbrook’s quad, and that he had begun doing some running and limited on-court activity as of Friday.
Westbrook missed two games with a right quad injury before returning for 28 minutes on Tuesday, August 11. He was again ruled out the next day with an injury to the same quad, and he hasn’t played since. Monday’s Game 4 would be exactly 13 days since Westbrook’s last game activity.
Now 31 years old, Westbrook has averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 35.9 minutes per game during a brilliant debut season in Houston. A nine-time NBA All-Star and the 2017 MVP, Westbrook shot a career-high 47.2% in the regular season with the Rockets — whose small-ball approach opened up more opportunities to attack the rim. He is the team’s No. 2 scorer, trailing only MVP finalist James Harden.
Game 4 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 3:00 p.m. Central on Monday, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. The next update on Westbrook’s status should come at Houston’s practice on Sunday.
