The Oklahoma City Thunder have announced that star point guard and second-leading scorer Russell Westbrook will need surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered in the 2nd quarter of Game 2 of their first round series with the Houston Rockets.
Rockets guard Patrick Beverley, making the first start of his career, crashed into Westbrook's knee as the Thunder guard was calling timeout. Westbrook finished the game and played well, along with constantly attacking Beverley on offense for the rest of the night.
His meniscus suffered a tear, however, and needs surgery according to the Oklahoma City medical staff. Thunder general manager Sam Presti issued a statement saying, "Our players' health is our first and foremost concern. The Thunder's medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue," said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. "We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue."
During the regular season Westbrook averaged 23.2 points per game and 7.4 assists and gave them 5.2 rebounds a game from the backcourt. In the first two games of the series, Westbrook put up 24 points, seven assists and 6.5 rebounds.
Reggie Jackson is likely to step into the starting point guard spot while Westbrook is on the mend, and he will be backed up by veteran Derek Fisher. Kevin Martin will likely be asked to play more minutes and fill the scoring void left by Westbrook. There is no timetable for his return.
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