All-Star Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and be out indefinitely.
According to ESPN , Westbrook suffered the injury during Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against Houston on Wednesday.
Russell was advancing the ball past the half-court line in order to call a time out when he collided with Rockets guard Patrick Beverley.
On Friday the Thunder announced that Russell will undergo surgery in the next few days to fix his knee.
There is no timetable set for his return.
“Our team is disappointed for Russell. We know what kind of competitor he is, how much he wants to be out there, but it’s a medical decision,” General Manager Sam Presti said in a news conference on Friday.
“Our team as a whole, we’ve got a resilient group of guys, a lot of character within that locker room and a group that enjoys playing together and has been through some adversities over the last several years that they’ve been together. We’d expect them to adjust, come together and have different guys step in and play well collectively.”
Here is a clip of the play where Westbrook was injured:
In his five years as an NBA player, Westbrook has never missed a single game.
Prior to his injury, the three-time All-Star averaged 23.2 points, 7.4 assists and a career-high 5.2 rebounds in 82 games on the season.
In Oklahoma City’s first two playoff games this spring, Westbrook has averaged 24.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds.
As it stands, Oklahoma City leads Houston 2-0 in the best-of-seven, first-round series. The two teams are scheduled to match up in game 3 on Saturday at 9:30pm.
NBA analyst Flip Saunders discusses the impact Russell Westbrook’s injury will have on the Thunder in the video below:
Westbrook isn’t the only starter that was injured in Oklahoma City’s match up against Houston on Wednesday night.
Rockets guard Jeremy Lin suffered a bruised right chest muscle and is questionable for the two teams’ next match-up.
