The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Friday that guard Russell Westbrook is out indefinitely after tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee.
Westbrook will have surgery to repair the injury, which he sustained during Game 2 of the Thunder’s playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
It is not known how long he will be out, but Yahoo! Sports reported that a source close to Westbrook said that he might return by the NBA Finals if the team makes it.
Metta World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers returned from the injury after two weeks.
“Our players’ health is our first and foremost concern,” executive vice president/general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. “The Thunder’s medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue.
“We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue.”
Westbrook, a three time All-Star, averaged 23.2 points, 7.4 assists, a career-high 5.2 rebounds and 1.77 steals in 82 games this season.