National Basketball Association

Russell Westbrook Is Ready To Rock

Updated Aug. 28, 2020 11:40 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets' first round matchup has been one filled with fireworks. And now, the series is about to get even more explosive with the addition of Rockets MVP point guard Russell Westbrook.

Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni spoke with the media before the team practiced on Friday, detailing what Westbrook's return will look like.

"He'll go through practice today, and if things are normal, we expect him to be ready to go," said D'Antoni.

"I'm sure he'll have time restraints. We have not talked about that at all, and that won't be discussed until tomorrow. I'm planning on it, but you never know, and Russ will be hard to hold down. I'm sure he's anxious and ready to roll."

Due to the boycotting of Wednesday's and Thursday's playoff games, the Rockets are set to play Game 5 on Saturday, but it is believed Westbrook would have been ready to play had the game originally gone according to schedule on Wednesday.

Westbrook missed the first four games of this series with a right quadriceps strain.

For the first two games it appeared as if the Rockets didn't need Westbrook, jumping out to a 2-0 series lead. But after losing Game 3 in overtime, and Game 4 by three points, the Rockets are in need of a spark in a now tied series.

For the season, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting a career-high 47.2% from the field.

And he himself is more than ready to get back on the court, not just to play but to represent a cause greater than himself.

It's now a best of three series between the Thunder and the Rockets, and the Rockets might have just gained a serious edge in helping them close out this series, according to Chris Broussard.

“Westbrook’s return returns Houston to the drivers seat in this series. OKC’s small lineup has bested the Rockets at their own game, but with Westbrook back in the fold that changes. A series loss by Houston will be a profound disappointment.”

While Broussard is high on the addition of Westbrook, Ric Bucher doesn't think the return of the All-Star guard makes a significant impact.

“I’m not convinced Russ is going to tip the scales in Houston’s favor. Yes, he’ll take some work off of Harden’s plate, which will help with Harden starting to look as if he’s wearing down. But the flip in the series has come from OKC winning the free-throw battle by continuing to attack the rim and minimizing Houston’s advantage in three-point shooting.

"After playing one game in nearly three weeks, is that reasonable to expect? I’m not convinced."

Whether or not Houston gets the job done remains to be seen, but with Westbrook in the lineup, it appears they have no excuses.

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Houston Rockets

National Basketball Association

Russell Westbrook