Westbrook
Russell Westbrook suffered an injury that was hard to watch, but he might not be out that long. Reuters

A gruesome injury to Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook that left his face with a noticeable dent might not be as serious as it may have seemed. ESPN’s Royce Young reported that Westbrook had surgery to repair a fracture in the zygomatic arch bone on Saturday and will be re-evaluated for a return this week.

Westbrook suffered the injury after colliding with teammate Andre Roberson with just 2.5 second remaining in a 115-112 loss Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers. Roberson’s leg struck Westbrook in the face and left a visible indent on his cheek. The point guard had ended up on the floor after a free throw attempt. Westbrook played the final few seconds but was seen grabbing his face after the collision.

See video of the play below:

Oklahoma City will certainly be without Westbrook on Sunday when the Thunder play the Los Angeles Lakers. His absence may be longer, but the timetable after the surgery seems to be relatively quick.

The Thunder will definitely miss Westbrook, who had put up his third triple double in a row on Friday, scoring 41 points with 13 rebounds and 11 assists. The Thunder is also currently without superstar Kevin Durant, who could be returning from a somewhat minor injury soon as well. The two have combined for 51.9 points per game, making up a large chunk of the Oklahoma City offense.

Getting the two stars in the lineup is likely a priority for a team fighting for a playoff spot. The Thunder currently has just a half-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns aren’t far behind, trailing the Thunder by just one game. Westbrook will definitely miss some time but Oklahoma City fans are likely relieved to hear the update. ESPN’s Young tweeted out that all things considered, Westbrook and the Thunder received good news today:

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