Russell Westbrook missed his second straight game for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. The former NBA MVP suffered a hand injury on Friday in a win against the Washington Wizards, which apparently, is going to be a major problem for both Russ and the Clippers.
As it turns out, Westbrook’s regular season may be over.
Los Angeles Clippers’ Russell Westbrook Undergoes Surgery
The official diagnosis of Westbrook’s injury is a left hand fracture. Russ, along with the team’s medical staff, decided that the best course of action would be to undergo surgery to repair the injury. This report comes via ESPN’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski, who also notes that the Clippers don’t expect the 35-year-old back until the postseason:
“ESPN Sources: Clippers guard Russell Westbrook underwent surgery on his fractured left hand on Monday and the hope is that he will return before the start of the playoffs,” Woj reported.
You have to note that there is no guarantee that Westbrook will be back in time for the playoffs. This will all depend on how well he responds to rehab and of course, how far LA progresses in the postseason.
Damian Lillard Leads Shorthanded Bucks to Win Over Clippers
To add insult to injury, the Clippers also ended up losing on the same day they learned about the extent of Westbrook’s devastating injury.
LA traveled out East to battle an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks side that had both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton sidelined for Monday’s bout. Damian Lillard stepped up to the plate, though, exploding for 41 points to lead the Bucks to their sixth straight win, 113-106.
Paul George (29 points, six triples), James Harden (29 points, eight assists), and Kawhi Leonard (19 points, five assists) did all they could to lift the Clippers, but they just had no answer for Lillard and his clutch heroics.
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