Houston Rockets All-Star Russell Westbrook had a rusty return in Game 5 against his former squad, the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Westbrook struggled from the field, going just 3-of-13 en route to seven points on the evening.

Nonetheless, despite the shooting struggles, Westbrook still contributed in different ways and played with the energy and aggressiveness the Rockets love from him. James Harden spoke about his co-star’s return and the positive impact he brings for Houston.

Via James Jackson of The Oklahoman:

“He brought that energy, he brought that excitement that we were missing,” Harden said of Westbrook. “We just need him. Obviously he’s our leader. We all know what he does for the game of basketball and for our team so it was exciting to have him out there.”

Westbrook brings a lot of intensity for the Rockets and this positive energy could provide a spark for the entire team. Aside from his seven points, Westbrook also added six rebounds and seven assists in his first game back since Aug. 11th against the San Antonio Spurs.

The UCLA standout nursed a quad injury that kept him out of action for Houston’s final two outings of the seeding games and the first four games of their opening round series against the Thunder.

Despite Westbrook’s shooting woes in Game 5, the Rockets didn’t have much of a problem taking the 3-2 series lead in convincing fashion. James Harden led the way with 31 points, five assists, and four triples.

Meanwhile, Houston defense also forced Oklahoma City to shoot just 31.5 percent from the field and a dismal 15.2 percent from beyond the arc. Westbrook, Harden, and the Rockets hope to close out the series on Monday.