The Houston Rockets have decided to rest Russell Westbrook for one game of back-to-back sets throughout this season, and that trend will continue this week.
The Rockets' plan this time around is to have the former UCLA standout sit for Tuesday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies and play in Wednesday night's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers:
Russell Westbrook will sit in Memphis and play vs Portland on this back-to-back.
It’s expected that Eric Gordon and Clint Capela will play in both games of the back-to-back but it will depend on how they feel. #Rockets #OneMission
— Cayleigh Griffin (@cayleighgriffin) January 13, 2020
With Westbrook being held out of Tuesday night's game against the Grizzlies, James Harden will likely take on an even bigger load than usual. Eric Gordon, who had 17 points on five 3-pointers in Saturday's 139-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, will likely see an uptick in his usage rate as well.
The Rockets acquired Westbrook by way of a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason. The move seems to be paying off, as the team is currently holding a 26-12 overall record.
In his 33 appearances this season, Westbrook has racked up averages of 24.6 points on 43.1 percent shooting from the field (23.1 percent from beyond the arc), 7.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.2 minutes per outing.
Tuesday night's matchup between the Rockets and Grizzlies is set to tip inside FedExForum at 8:00 p.m. ET, with NBA TV having live broadcast coverage. Houston has won four of its last five, while Memphis is riding a five-game winning streak.
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