Rockets guard Russell Westbrook is likely to miss one game of Houston’s upcoming back-to-back on Friday and Saturday for planned maintenance, according to head coach Mike D’Antoni.
Now 31 years old and coming off offseason knee surgery, it would be the same protocol used by the team in November — when Westbrook sat out the second game of back-to-back sequences on Nov. 3-4 and Nov. 15-16.
D’Antoni addressed the subject (video) when asked by reporters after Wednesday’s win at Cleveland, which improved the Rockets to 16-8 on the 2019-20 season. The coach’s quote:
I think he’s scheduled to miss one of them, but I don’t know for sure.
Mike D'Antoni tells @cayleighgriffin postgame that he *thinks* Russell Westbrook is scheduled to miss one game of the upcoming #Rockets back-to-back (Friday at Orlando, Saturday home vs. Detroit), but he doesn't know for sure.
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) December 12, 2019
Both the Magic (11-13) and Pistons (10-14) are below .500 teams in the East, so there wouldn’t seem to be a major competitive reason for the Rockets to pick one over the other as more important. The Orlando game is on the road, while the Pistons visit Houston on Saturday night.
Thus, the decision of whether to rest Westbrook — and which game — could have more to do with the availability of reserve guard Austin Rivers, who typically plays more minutes when Westbrook sits. Rivers’ presence is especially important with fellow reserve guard Eric Gordon likely out until late December after knee surgery.
For example, in the Nov. 16 victory that Westbrook missed at Minnesota, Rivers played 35 minutes. That was his second-highest total of the season, exceeded only by the double-overtime game in San Antonio.
This week, however, Rivers has missed Houston’s last two games due to illness. Houston Chronicle writer Jonathan Feigen reported Thursday that Rivers could return Friday in Orlando, and his availability could be critical in helping to fill Westbrook’s average total of 34.5 per game.
Guard Austin Rivers planning to join the Rockets in Orlando, could come back from flu symptoms tomorrow in limited minutes. FWIW, I can now confirm with certainty that whatever got in that locker room will knock you down hard.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 12, 2019
Westbrook has been hot of late, averaging 27.0 points, 8.3 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals over his last three games. He’s shooting 58.2% from the field and 36.4% on three-pointers during that stretch.
[lawrence-related id=19643,19518,19366]
Russell Westbrook over his last three:
27.0 points, 8.3 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals per game. Shooting 58.2% overall and 36.4% on three-pointers.#Rockets are 2-1 and would be 3-0 if not for a 30+ foot buzzer-beater.
Small sample, but signs of progress. #OneMission
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) December 12, 2019