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Washington Wizards PG Russell Westbrook suffered an ankle injury in Game 2 of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was escorted to the locker room in the fourth quarter and did not return for the rest of the game. Westbrook's status was doubtful for both Games 3 and 4 but given the warrior that he is, he fought through the pain and played both matches.
Bradley Beal spoke about Westbrook, saying:
"I kind of knew after last game he was going to play...Even if it was for two minutes, he was going to play."
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On the other side of the court, Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid also hurt himself and sat out for the majority of Game 4. The Washington Wizards took advantage of the situation and won the game, forcing a Game 5 back in Philly.
NBA Playoffs 2021: Is Russell Westbrook going to lace up tonight against the 76ers to force a Game 6?
Washington fans can rejoice as Russell Westbrook is officially listed as available on the injury report and will play tonight. Joel Embiid's status is doubtful for the game and the Wizards have another opportunity to keep their season alive.
Russell Westbrook was questionable for Games 3 and 4 but a last-minute game-time decision led to him stepping on the court right before tip-off. Despite playing through pain, Westbrook dropped triple-doubles in both games to move up to third on the NBA playoffs all-time triple-doubles list.
The Washington Wizards are now down 1-3 to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and have a chance to make history. If they do indeed win the series, they'll become just the sixth 8th seed in NBA history to win against the 1st seed.
Westbrook is averaging 17.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and a league-high 12.3 assists per game in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
