Westbrook practices again, may play against Pelicans
Russell Westbrook isn’t a lock to play against the Pelicans in the Thunder’s preseason game on Friday.
But it isn’t clinched that he'll sit, and that’s progress.
Westbrook went through a full practice on Thursday, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said, and he hasn’t been ruled out to play when Oklahoma City hosts the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“There’s a possibility he could (play),” Donovan said. “There’s a chance he couldn’t. I think a lot’s gonna depend on, if he does go, how many minutes he would be able to play. Or it may be a situation where he says, ‘I maybe need a little bit more time to rest.’ So it’s kind of, let him absorb what happened today and then get together tomorrow.”
Westbrook had a platelet rich plasma injection in his left knee two weeks ago. He didn’t play in OKC’s Blue and White Scrimmage on Sunday or its preseason opener against the Rockets on Tuesday in Tulsa. Thursday was his second contact practice of the preseason.
The Thunder has a 10 a.m. shootaround scheduled Friday. Westbrook likely will meet with Donovan and the medical staff then and discuss how his body feels a day after what Donovan said was a “full-go” practice for his point guard.
While it’s unclear if Westbrook will be ready for the Pelicans, two of his teammates won't.
Alex Abrines, who’s recovering from a left knee strain, and Patrick Patterson, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in August, both will miss a second straight preseason game, Donovan said.
“Alex has been doing some individual shooting,” Donovan said. “Nothing contact-wise. Patrick’s been able to script and do some
things non-contact on the floor."
Steven Adams, who left Tuesday’s game after Rockets guard James Harden pulled him to the floor in what was ruled a flagrant-1 foul, was “fine” on Thursday, Donovan said, and participated in the entire practice.
Fans adapt to Anthony
Twice in the winter of 2009, Carmelo Anthony broke Thunder fans’ hearts.
There was the Jan. 2 game-winning 3-pointer with 0.1 showing in Denver – over a strong contest from Desmond Mason – that propelled Antony’s Nuggets to a 122-120 win. On Feb. 4 in the same building, Anthony drove down an open lane for a layup with 5.3 seconds to play that lifted Denver to a 114-113 win. In 31 games as a Nugget and Knick against the franchise – some vs. the Seattle SuperSonics – Anthony averaged 26.9 points per game. Anthony remembers those games, but said Thunder fans have embraced him as though they don’t.
“When I was in Denver, the battles that we had, even with Seattle early on and then OKC, I thought it would be a little different, maybe a little bittersweet, but I think the fans are very forgetful out here,” Anthony said. “I’m on their team now. So, put that behind us, and we look forward to having some of these moments with me being in the home jersey now.”
Quotable
“It was amazing. The energy there, it was almost like being a rookie again, stepping in front of a new crowd, a new jersey. I had the jitters. I was very excited. It took me a second to kind of let the game slow down and just be in the moment. I thought I was a little outside myself to start this game. But that’s what preseason’s for, to get this out of yourself, get it out of your system and you move forward.” – Paul George on playing his first game in a Thunder uniform Tuesday in Tulsa.