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LA Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook's status is up in the air after sustaining an injury against the Washington Wizards during their game on Friday He exited in the second quarter during a defensive play against Jordan Poole and did not return.
Later on, it was revealed that the injury was diagnosed as a left-hand fracture. The team has not released a timeline for his return, but he is expected to miss a significant amount of time, including most of the games left in March.
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The Clippers (39-20) won 140-115 despite Russell Westbrook missing the rest of the game. They took on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and escaped with an 89-88 victory in his absence.
Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul, who suffered a left-hand fracture earlier this season, missed 21 straight games due to the injury. This could be used as a benchmark, but it also isn't an indication of how Westbrook will deal with the ailment.
Russell Westbrook underwent hand surgery
Russell Westbrook's injury was diagnosed as a left-hand fracture. The team did not release a timeline or an exact date for his return. However, the good news for him and the team is that he has successfully undergone surgery to repair the issue.
He is still expected to miss a significant amount of time, including most of the Clippers' games in March but as per Adrian Wojnarowski, there is a possibility that Westbrook will return before the playoffs begin.
What happened to Russell Westbrook's hand?
During the second quarter against the Washington Wizards on Friday, LA Clippers Russell Westbrook tried to poke the ball away from Jordan Poole. Immediately after attempting to steal the ball, Westbrook grabbed his hand.
Although he did not seem to be in serious pain, he still exited the game after 10 minutes of action wherein he scored six points on 2-for-3 shooting.
How have the Clippers performed in the absence of Russell Westbrook?
The Clippers still ended up dominating two vastly different opponents without their backup point guard, Russell Westbrook.
Washington is tied for the worst record in the NBA at 9-51. The Timberwolves (42-19) are second in the West. While they still won, the game came down to the wire and they barely escaped.
Westbrook's impact off the bench has been vital to the Clippers' success. He has established himself as their sixth man, averaging 22.6 minutes per game.
From off the bench, he has averaged 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists as well as 1.1 steals per game. His all-around play has been crucial for the Clippers to maintain the same pace and intensity throughout the game even when some of their starters sit.
This is the first time that Westbrook will miss action this season, so the league is yet to truly see how his team will perform in his absence.
