OKC Thunder: Finding a silver lining to Russell Westbrook’s injury
OKC Thunder has a relatively light schedule coming up against sub .500 teams, which could be key timing as Russell Westbrook sits with a sprained ankle.
There’s no fun in shedding light on an injury to any player, especially one of Russell Westbrook’s caliber, but if there’s any silver lining to it, it’s that the OKC Thunder are playing against sub .500 teams for the next week, allowing some extra time for the star point guard to treat an ailing ankle.
OKC Thunder fans were holding their breath on Monday night as dynamic point guard Russell Westbrook suffered what appeared to be a severe ankle injury against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Westbrook landed on Anthony Davis‘ foot on the way down from a rebound, rolling his left ankle and was immediately seen in visible pain, slapping the floor and screaming so loud it resonated through the TV screen.
Looks like Russell Westbrook rolled his ankle on the way down here. Scary moment in OKC. pic.twitter.com/OVoncvLhRu
— Boomtown Hoops (@BoomtownHoops) November 6, 2018
OKC Thunders players and fans could only wait for any news on the injury, and as reported by Royce Young, the injury isn’t as bad as first expected, however the team is still unsure of a return date.
Update on Russell Westbrook: More tests and evaluation confirmed an ankle sprain and nothing more. Looked worse than it actually is. He's out against the Cavs tomorrow (still traveling with the team) and before determining a timeline they want to see how he responds to treatment.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 6, 2018
As Westbrook sits out, the Thunders schedule isn’t too extreme.
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OKC play against the worst team record wise (1-9) and in team defense in the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena tonight, followed by a back to back game against a Houston Rockets team that has been anything but the sharp shooting team they were of seasons past.
Houston specifically rank 25th in team offence league wide. That game is back at home Thursday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Depending on how the treatment goes on Westbrook’s injury over the next few days will determine when he laces up and returns to the court, but OKC Thunder fans know the genetic freak Russell Westbrook is, and he should be looking at coming back against either the Dallas Mavericks or the Phoenix Suns.
Continue to tune into Thunderous intentions for more updates.