Houston Rockets news: Russell Westbrook strains quad, to be evaluated

The Houston Rockets were dealt a potentially significant blow when an MRI revealed that Russell Westbrook has a strained quad muscle in his right leg.

Houston Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni has been emphasizing health when it comes to the playoffs. However, there’s a chance his superstar point guard could be missing some time. Rockets reporter Alykhan Bijani broke the news shortly before Wednesday’s game that Russell Westbrook has a strained quadriceps muscle in his right leg.

The announcement comes just one day removed from Westbrook’s return to the court against the San Antonio Spurs, in which he didn’t appear to have the same explosiveness he usually does as the game progressed. Russell had missed the previous two games nursing the quad injury but seemed to be ready enough to go on Tuesday, so the news comes as a bit of a surprise.

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According to Bijani, Westbrook will be out for Friday’s regular season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers, and his status will be re-evaluated before the playoffs start next week.

With the potential for the Rockets to begin their playoff bid on Monday, it’s possible that Westbrook could miss some of Houston’s first round series, depending on the severity of the injury.

The injury comes at the worst time for the Rockets, who were hoping to have a fully available roster for Friday’s final seeding game to get into a rhythm for the postseason.

Westbrook has been averaging 24.3 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game on the Orlando campus, and his availability will be crucial if the Rockets want to make a deep run in their pursuit of an NBA title.

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Stay connected to Space City scoop for further details on Westbrook’s injury as they become available.

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