LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 24: Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook wears a Los Angeles Lakers jersey in honor of the late Kobe Bryant during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder of game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
Russell Westbrook remains out for the Rockets
The Houston Rockets seemed to be cruising against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team took a 2-0 series lead without Russell Westbrook and his absence wasn’t a big deal. Now, the Thunder have taken two straight and Wednesday’s Game 5 has become all that more important.
But the Rockets will once again be without Westbrook as he continues to deal with a quad injury that has held him out all series.
Russell Westbrook’s absence matters now
Not having Westbrook on the floor is a problem. He was the team’s second-leading scorer during the regular season with 27.2 points-per-game. James Harden was first at 34.3 points, while Eric Gordon showed up third with just 14.4 points per game.
Taking Westbrook out of the lineup puts the emphasis squarely on Harden. The star guard went 11-25 from the field in a Game 4 loss to the Thunder and finished with 32 points, but it was not enough in a 117-114 loss.
The Rockets averaged over 117 points-per-game during the regular season and that was with Westbrook on the floor. Even without him the slack will be picked up by others, such as Gordon or Danuel House Jr., just by default. However, the others lack the explosiveness of Westbrook and the consistent ability to score over 20 points per game.
The game broadcasts have shown footage of Westbrook working out before games, but he is still not medically cleared to play. That raises some questions if those clips just show him fighting through immense pain, or if the medical staff is being extra cautious.
The fun storyline being missed out on is Westbrook going up against his old team. Instead, this is Chris Paul’s revenge tour. He has gone for 26 points in both Thunder victories and has gotten some major help from Dennis Schroder, who has 59 combined points in the two wins.
The Rockets built their offense around the duo of Harden and Westbrook this season. Not having the latter available could put the Rockets in a 3-2 deficit, a result they’d surely rather avoid.