Getty Russell Westbrook and the Thunder are aiming to shock the Warriors and win the West..
Russell Westbrook was averaging 24.1 points per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder before spraining his ankle against the Pelicans on November 5th.
Since limping off the court that night the All-Star Thunder point guard has missed four games in a row. The team has done alright without him though–and they should, with players like Steven Adams and Paul George–losing only one game in his absence against the Mavericks on Saturday.
It was on Saturday, too, that head coach Billy Donovan said that Westbrook was progressing and putting up shots, signaling that his return is on the horizon.
Russell Westbrook (left ankle sprain) update: He is out tonight, still no timetable for his return. But he is progressing, getting up shots, per Billy Donovan.
That being said, though it’s been four days since that update it appears that Westbrook is still in the recovery process.
Russell Westbrook once again listed as out in the game notes for tomorrow’s game against the Knicks.
And he should be–playing on a hurt ankle is asking for trouble. But it’s encouraging that he’s at least making progress and is on his way back to the court.
The Thunder are currently sitting at #5 in the packed Western Conference with an 8-5 record. Not too shabby, considering that Westbrook also missed the first two games of the regular season with a different injury. His intermittent absences allow the team to learn how to work around the possibility of him not being around in the big moments he’s known for taking control of, and gives players like Paul George to step more fully into a leadership role.
All in all, the Thunder will be okay, and Westbrook should be back sooner rather than later. He just won’t be playing tonight against the Knicks.
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Westbrook Injury Update: Will Westbrook Play Against the Knicks?