Houston Rockets’ NBA title hopes received a tough blow on Thursday. According to ESPN, Rockets’ All-Star guard Russell Westbrook is dealing with quad muscle strain and is set to miss the start of the playoffs.
Reportedly, Westbrook’s availability for the playoffs will depend on how well he responds to the treatment, but he’ll miss at least the “first few games.” Rockets will begin their postseason next week when they face Westbrook’s former team Oklahoma City Thunder.
Westbrook last played on Tuesday against San Antonio Spurs after missing Houston’s previous two games due to quad contusion. On Wednesday, however, he felt soreness in his right quad and underwent an MRI which ended up showing the strain.
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said after Wednesday’s loss to Indiana Pacers that the team will have more clarity on the injury next week.
“We’ll see how he responds,” said D’Antoni. “We’ll just see next week.”
Russell Westbrook arrived to Houston last summer in a blockbuster trade that saw Chris Paul and par of picks head to Oklahoma City. Westbrook has been enjoying the productive season with Rockets so far, averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game while enjoying career-best field goal percentage (47.2%).
