Oklahoma City Thunder’s All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook may miss the remainder of the 2013 playoffs after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee.
ESPN reported the breaking news via SportsCenter, stating Westbrook and the team elected for surgery on the injury, which was suffered Wednesday night in a victory over the Houston Rockets.
“Our player’s health is our first and foremost concern,” said Thunder GM Sam Presti in a press release.
The injury leaves the Thunder, a favorite to reach the NBA Finals, without its second-leading scorer. Westbrook, averaged 23.2 points, 7.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds during the regular season.
Exactly how long Westbrook will miss is uncertain. Los Angeles Lakers’ forward Metta World-Peace returned from a torn meniscus late in the season after just 12 days. However, such a short recovery time is highly unusual, especially for a player as explosive as Westbrook.
