Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James crossed paths with Houston Rockets All-Star Russell Westbrook as Westbrook was conducting an interview on the Disney World campus on Monday, and James interrupted the media session to inquire about Westbrook's strained right quad.
“How’s the quad?” James asked Westbrook.
“Good,” Westbrook curtly replied.
Here’s an injury update: LeBron James sees Russell Westbrook in the middle of an interview. LeBron: “How’s the quad?” Westbrook: “Good.”
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) August 17, 2020
Westbrook's quad injury is expected to sideline him for at least Houston's first two playoff games against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Rockets are holding out hope that their star guard can return to the court by the weekend—though that may be a best-case scenario.
Games 1 and 2 of the highly-anticipated Thunder-Rockets series will take place on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Game 3 is slated for Saturday.
“It's gonna be a few days,” Houston head coach Mike D'Antoni said of Westbrook's injury on Sunday. “It's not something that's gonna miraculously go away tomorrow.”
Westbrook's arrival in the bubble was delayed after he tested positive for COVID-19, and the quad injury further limited him to just four appearances in the seeding games. In his four games in Orlando, he's averaging 24.3 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game.
The Rockets have a deep backcourt, especially if Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore continue their strong play in the bubble. Houston got a boost with the return of Eric Gordon last week after he missed two weeks with a sprained ankle. They also have some guy named James Harden in their guard rotation.
James' Lakers begin their postseason push on Tuesday night in a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. If the No. 1 seeded Lakers and No. 4 seeded Rockets are able to advance, James and Westbrook will face off in the Western Conference semifinals.
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