Oklahoma City Thunder guard Theo Maledon is returning to the rotation and will start against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, head coach Mark Daigneault said before the game.
Maledon missed the last four games while in COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Daigneault said he has no restrictions upon his return.
He will start next to Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley and Al Horford.
Justin Jackson, who has scored 20 points in two games in a row, will return to the bench after starting on Sunday.
Maledon will be the sole point guard on the Thunder’s active roster with Gilgeous-Alexander out again due to a left knee sprain. OKC has played well without traditional guards overall; the team went 1-3 in the last four games without Maledon, but two of the losses were in overtime and the other was a two-point defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
Maledon is averaging 7.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. He has six starts as a rookie.
The first start of his career was against the Blazers on Jan. 25. In that game, Maledon had six points, four assists and four rebounds and shot 2-for-7 from the field.
Tipoff on Tuesday is scheduled for 7 p.m.
This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!
