Russell Westbrook Out Indefinitely
Added on Apr 26, 2013 by Scott in
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The Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship hopes were dealt a serious blow after learning All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Westbrook will be out indefinitely, meaning his availability for the remainder of the playoffs is unknown. He injured the knee in the Thunder’s Game 2 victory when he collided with Houston guard Patrick Beverley.
Despite being labored, Westbrook was able to finish Wednesday’s game. The initial thought was he would be okay, but further examination revealed more extensive damage. The normally durable point guard has yet to miss a regular season or playoff game.
Backup Reggie Jackson will take over starting duties in Westbrook’s absence. Jackson was solid near the end of the season when Westbrook was seeing reduced minutes in preparation for the playoffs. Veteran Derek Fisher will also be in the mix, but he’s nicked and has been mostly utilized as a three-point specialist.
Not having Westbrook obviously places increased pressure on Kevin Durant, who is averaging 26.5 points through two games. Sixth-man Kevin Martin will likely be given more minutes to help alleviate the scoring void. In addition, starting two guard Thabo Sefolosha could be be asked to be more assertive on offense.
This is where not having James Harden hurts the Thunder. Last year they would’ve turned to Harden to pick up the scoring slack. Now they have to deal with him as an opponent using an undermanned roster. Needless to say, what looked like a potential series sweep for Oklahoma City just got a lot more interesting.
The series resumes Saturday night in Houston, where the Rockets own a 29-12 record and went 1-1 versus the Thunder in the regular season. A Game 3 victory is a must to have any chance of springing an upset.
Oklahoma City doesn’t need to press the panic button yet. They still have Kevin Durant, who is certainly capable of carrying the team on his back for the remainder of the series. Beyond that, the task will be greater. Not having a healthy Westbrook versus the Clippers or Grizzlies might bring an end to the Thunder’s title aspirations.
Source: ESPN.com
