The Los Angeles Clippers are in the midst of a race for the top four in the Western Conference and are poised to get a big piece of their puzzle back for the final stretch of the season. Russell Westbrook could make his return to the court this evening against the Clippers.
Be healthy at the right time
Injuries have plagued the Clippers in recent seasons, and it had a direct effect on their shortened playoff run. This season, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have remained healthy for most of the season, and now Los Angeles is on the verge of recover Russell Westbrook after more than three weeks of absence.
Westbrook suffered a broken hand during the Clippers’ win over the Washington Wizards on March 1. He went into the operating room a few weeks later and was expected to stay there for three weeks. Reports from ESPN claim Westbrook is expected to make his this week, and apparently it could be as early as tonight for the Clips game against Indiana.
Tyron Lue used Westbrook as a sixth man, coming off the bench when the starting five was a little too crowded with star power earlier this season. Westbrook volunteered for the role and flourished as a leader of the second unit and as his backup’s energetic guy. He is averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists coming off the bench this season.
The Clips split their 12 games in the time Westbrook missed, and They now find themselves holding on to the fourth seed in the West and trying to secure a home court in the first round of the playoffs. They likely won’t make it to the top three teams fighting for the top seed, so their priority will be to stay ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans who are only a half-game behind Los Angeles.
