Russell Westbrook will make his postseason debut for the Houston Rockets on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing the first four games of the series due to a quad injury.
However, per Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni, Westbrook will be limited to 25-28 minutes in Game 5 against the Thunder.
Russell Westbrook will be limited to 25-28 minutes tonight, per Mike D’Antoni.#Rockets need better production from Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers in Game 5. https://t.co/tTuHYt1fTi
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) August 29, 2020
The Thunder have all the momentum in the series, as they won Games 3 and 4. Houston would have loved to rest Russell Westbrook for the entire first-round series against Oklahoma City since they'll need the former MVP at 100 percent for a potential second-round series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the regular season, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 57 starts. He also shot 47.2 percent from the field and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The Rockets are the only team in the 2020 playoffs with two MVPs leading the way. With that being said, it would be disappointing if the club somehow loses to the Thunder in the first round, especially since Houston traded Chris Paul to OKC for Westbrook last offseason.
However, Russ is one of the best playoff performers of his generation, so odds are the explosive guard is going to make a positive impact for the Rockets in their series against the Thunder.
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