Big Boost for Houston Rockets as Russell Westbrook Set to Return for Game 5 Against OKC

The Houston Rockets have made it quite far without their star guard, Russell Westbrook. They were in a 2-0 lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder but Westbrook’s absence seems to have caught up with them. OKC has taken great advantage of their rivals’ reliable scorer missing from the roster and managed to tie with the Rockets by game 4. The series stands at a gripping 2-2 tie now and is entering it’s crucial last few games.

However, it looks like the Rockets will be in good hands now. There were speculations that Westbrook will be returning in game 5 to support his team and these rumours are turning into reality.

Russell Westbrook all set to return?

Westbrook was suffering from a right quad strain because of which he missed out on four seeding games and the entire postseason so far. However, things are starting to look up for him as he is planning to return in game 5 of the playoffs. He had planned to test quadriceps pregame before entering the court for game 5. However, this was also postponed when the season was suspended for a short span in between.

The good news is that the Houston Rockets held an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday. This was an attempt to analyze his injury status before he makes his final return. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski posted on twitter tagging Tim Macmohan, “ESPN’s story with Machmohan on Houston’s Russell Westbrook participating in his first full-speed 5-on-5 since sidelined with a strained quad.” Sources also claimed, “He looked as explosive as ever.”

Westbrook’s return will certainly add a lot of spice to the game not only because he is a very dangerous guard but also that it will be his first showdown against his former team before he was traded with Thunders’ Chris Paul.

Houston Rockets can be a big threat to the Thunder

Even though OKC might have brought the series to a tie, there is no way they stand a chance with Westbrook on the Rockets’ roster. Westbrook’s return will solve a lot of problems for the Rockets. The offensive burden on James Harden and Eric Gordon will decrease drastically and pump up the team after two consecutive losses.

Nevertheless, the Oklahoma City Thunder have gained some momentum after these two games, so Rockets will have to go ahead with this strategically.