All-Star guard Russell Westbrook is not expected to play for the Houston Rockets in Thursday’s nationally televised game versus the Los Angeles Lakers, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Westbrook is listed on the team’s injury report as questionable due to a right quad contusion.
Final word on Westbrook’s playing status should come at approximately 6:15 p.m. Central, which is when Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni will meet with reporters prior to the game.
It’s unclear when Westbrook suffered the injury, but it might help explain his subpar showing in Tuesday’s loss versus Portland. After scoring a team-high 31 points (47.6% FG) in Sunday’s victory over Milwaukee, Westbrook was limited to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting (35.7%).
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With fellow guard Eric Gordon already out due to a sprained left ankle, the Rockets would be quite thin in the backcourt without Westbrook. Either Austin Rivers or Ben McLemore could replace Westbrook in the starting lineup, and veteran DeMarre Carroll would seem to be a strong candidate to receive spot minutes off the bench.
Russell Westbrook (right quad contusion) remains listed as questionable on the official injury report, but a source said the Rockets anticipate he will sit out vs. Lakers tonight.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) August 6, 2020
Westbrook’s health presents a delicate balance for D’Antoni and the Rockets (42-25), who entered the day tied in the loss column with Utah (43-25) and Oklahoma City (42-25) in the close race for playoff seeding in the Western Conference. They definitely want to win Thursday’s game. Yet, with the start of the playoffs less than two weeks away, they also have every incentive to be careful with any injury to a key player.
“We’re not going to take any chances, D’Antoni told Matt Thomas of SportsTalk 790 on Thursday afternoon. “He just feels it’s a slight little thing, so we have to make sure he’s 100 percent.” D’Antoni indicated that it was more likely than not that Westbrook would rest, but he said the Rockets would examine him pregame and had not yet ruled him out.
Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni tells @SportsMT that Russell Westbrook will likely sit out tonight vs. the Lakers, but they'll take a look at him pregame.
"We're not going to take any chances. He just feels it's a slight little thing, so we have to make sure he's 100%." #OneMission
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) August 6, 2020
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Now 31 years old, Westbrook is averaging 27.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 36.1 minutes per game in his debut season in Houston. A nine-time NBA All-Star and the 2017 MVP, Westbrook is shooting a career-high 47.2% with the smaller Rockets — whose unconventional style has helped open up more opportunities for him to attack the rim.
Thursday’s tip-off between the Rockets (42-25) and Lakers (51-15) is set for 8:00 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional telecast (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. With the Lakers having already clinched the West’s No. 1 seed, it was not yet clear whether they planned to play all of their key players.
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