Westbrook suffers meniscus tear in right knee and will undergo surgery.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were dealt a huge blow on Friday, as reports suggest Russell Westbrook has torn a meniscus in his right knee and could miss the rest of their Playoffs campaign.
The franchise have set no timetable on his return, and will be devastated by the loss as they bid for an immediate return to the NBA Finals, following their defeat to the Miami Heat last year.
General manager Sam Presti addressed the media in a news conference shortly after the reports emerged.
“Our team is disappointed for Russell. We know what kind of competitor he is, how much he wants to be out there, but it’s a medical decision,” he told reporters as quoted by NBA.com.
Along with Kevin Durant, Westbrook forms a vital part of the Thunder’s offensive, as his explosive play not only opens up the floor for his team-mates to benefit, but also allows him to post up consistent numbers on a nightly basis.
Remarkably, he has played in all 439 of OKC’s games, including playoffs, since he entered the league, but will now sit out for a lengthy period of time.
The injury is believed to have been sustained in Game 2 of the series clash with the Houston Rockets, with an incident involving Patrick Beverley.
He remained in the game but was clearly hobbling after the injury, and sat out the Thunder’s practice on Thursday.
Westbrook was clearly irritated by the foul at the time as he limped off, and he will be disappointed to now have to miss a key part of the season.
His absence is likely to open up the field in the Western Conference, with many tipping Oklahoma City as being the best equipped team to prevent Miami repeating their success from last season.
Game 3 takes place in Houston on Saturday, as OKC will now have to find a way of winning without their point guard, who averaged 24 points and seven assists in the first two games.
Watch the video below to see how Westbrook picked up the injury:
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