The Houston Rockets will be carrying a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, and if they’re to take a commanding 2-0 series lead, they will have to do so without Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook, who is nursing a strained right quad, will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday when the teams square off for the second time. There was a report earlier this week that mentioned that the Rockets had some hope that the former MVP could make his return to the lineup for Game 3, but that remains to be seen.
Similar to hamstrings and ankles, quads can be tricky injuries, particularly for a player who relies on his physical gifts as much as Westbrook.
With Houston winning Game 1, it stands to reason that the team would be a tad bit more patient as it relates to Westbrook making his return to the lineup.
One thing that became clear from Game 1 is that Houston is still formidable even without him in the lineup. Eric Gordon gave the team 20 points starting in place of Westbrook, and as a unit, Houston was plus-21 from the three-point line.
Traditionally, that has been the recipe of success for a team coached by Mike D’Antoni, so whether Westbrook is in the lineup or not, Oklahoma City will have to fight over screens and effectively defend the three-point line if it is to knot the series up at one game each.