Thunder Guard Russell Westbrook to Have Surgery on Right Knee Likely Out For Playoffs

The Oklahoma City Thunder has suffered a major blow as their star guard Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, the team announced today.
According to Inside Hoops:
Westbrook suffered the injury in the second quarter of Game 2 of the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs.  The three-time NBA All-Star averaged 23.2 points (6th in NBA), 7.4 assists (7th), a career-high 5.2 rebounds and 1.77 steals (9th) in 82 games this season.
“Our players’ health is our first and foremost concern. The Thunder’s medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue.”
There is no timetable set for his return.
The battle to get to the Finals from the Western Conference was already a difficult road with tough teams like the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies but it’s even more wide open now that the Thunder has lost their most explosive player.  This is the first time in Westbrook’s NBA career that he will miss a game.  As to whether or not he will return this postseason a source simply said “maybe”.  Wishing Westbrook a speedy recovery.