Hamidou Diallo isn’t the only player on the Thunder dealing with a left knee issue.
Steven Adams, who has been hampered by his left knee since late last month, is still dealing with a nagging injury.
Adams missed three games after suffering a left knee contusion in a loss against the Rockets on Oct. 28.
He returned to the starting lineup against the Pacers on Nov. 12, but played just 24 minutes against the Lakers Tuesday night, down a little from his season average of 26.3.
Adams was not on the floor in the closing minutes of the Thunder’s five-point loss, and head coach Billy Donovan told The Oklahoman that Oklahoma City is keeping a close eye on Adams’ court time.
“Obviously we’re dealing with Steven’s knee still,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of the decision. “I don’t want to say he’s on a minutes restriction, but we’re trying to be mindful and keep him in a range.”
Adams is an integral part of the Thunder, and Oklahoma City desperately needs his production, which has declined in comparison to last season.
As noted by Joe Mussatto, Adams’ 26.3 minutes per game are “down from 33.4 minutes last season. His scoring has dropped from 13.9 points per game to 7.8 points per game. Adams, a career 58.6 percent shooter, is shooting 50.6 percent from the floor this season.”
Diallo is also dealing with left knee soreness and has been held out of Oklahoma City’s last three games.
The Thunder will have two days off to recover before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers Friday at 7 p.m. CT.