Rockets officially rule out Russell Westbrook for Game 2 vs. Thunder

Westbrook is out for Thursday’s Game 2 against the Thunder, but Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni says there is clear improvement on his MRIs.

As expected, the Houston Rockets listed All-Star guard Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) as out for Thursday’s Game 2 of the team’s first-round series in the 2020 NBA playoffs against Oklahoma City.

The Rockets have not given any official timetable for his potential return. Unofficially, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Saturday’s Game 3 has been looked at by the team as the earliest realistic target date.

With the Rockets having won Game 1 in convincing fashion, there’s no need for Houston to rush the recovery. At Wednesday’s practice, head coach Mike D’Antoni said this about Westbrook’s status:

I have no idea. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. It’s going to take a little bit, but he’s working hard, and he’s feeling better every day. The [MRI] images are looking better, but I think it’s too early to say how many days, because I don’t think anybody knows.

I’m sure the next step will be him getting on the court. … The thigh will tell him. He is progressing, and he feels a lot better. He’s doing a lot of conditioning and bike riding and stuff, [to] keep strengthening it. He hasn’t gotten on the court yet, and once he gets on the court, he’ll be able to hone in on how many days.

Eric Gordon started in Westbrook’s place in Tuesday’s Game 1 and played very well on both offense and defense. Should that continue, and if Houston builds on its series lead, that might allow Westbrook even more time to rest his strained quad and get it closer to 100 percent. If the Rockets advance to the second round, they would face the winner of the West series between No. 8 Portland and the top-seeded Lakers.

[lawrence-related id=36500]

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 league’s 2017 MVP, Westbrook is shooting a career-high 47.2% with the Rockets — whose small-ball approach has opened up more opportunities to attack the rim. He is Houston’s No. 2 scorer, trailing only MVP finalist James Harden.

Game 2 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 2:30 p.m. Central on Thursday, with a national broadcast on ESPN and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. All games are being played at the NBA’s Disney World “bubble” in Florida.

[lawrence-related id=36429,36351]