The Houston Rockets take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs. After going 2-0 up, they lost consecutive games to tie the series. The absence of Russell Westbrook was felt in those two games. They have missed a reliable scorer alongside James Harden.
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After suffering from a right quad strain, Westbrook missed four seeding games and all the postseason games so far. And now he is scheduled to miss tonight’s game as well. But Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni had some good news.
“As soon as they tell me, he can go and he feels like he can then he’ll go,” D’Antoni said “He’ll work out today, he’ll get on the court and see how he feels and they’ll make a determination. It’s close. We want to be a little careful. At the same time, we understand the urgency. They’ll make a good call on him and he’ll do the same.”
How long can the Rockets cope without Russell Westbrook?
In the two losses to the Thunder, losing Westbrook has severely affected the Rockets. He was a leader alongside Harden. When he was on the court, Harden could afford to rest. But without him, all the responsibility seems to have fallen on Harden’s shoulders.
When he played alongside Westbrook in the seeding games, Harden averaged 18.3 shots per game and shot 53% from the field. But without Westbrook in the playoffs, he is now averaging 22.5 shots per game and shooting 44% from the field.
In the previous game, the Rockets were down by three points with just 30 seconds left. Instead of taking the crucial shot himself, a tired Harden passed the ball to P. J. Tucker in the corner. But Tucker couldn’t make the clutch shot. If Westbrook was on the floor, it would have been him or Harden taking such crucial shots.
The Rockets started this series well, but now look like they’re in trouble. The Thunder have momentum on their side now and the Rockets will have to improve as they enter the crucial Game 5 tonight. They will hope Westbrook returns soon and pumps the much-needed energy into the team. Without him, they risk losing the series.
