Thunder F Kevin Durant, PG Russell Westbrook return to practice
Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks said forward Kevin Durant and guard Russell Westbrook both participated in practice on Monday and Westbrook could return to game action as early as this week, according to The Oklahoman.
Durant, the reigning NBA MVP, has been out for the Thunder's first 15 games after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot before the season. He was originally supposed to be out six to eight weeks after surgery. Westbrook broke a bone in his right hand in the team's second game of the season, a 93-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 30.
Neither will play in Wednesday's game against the Utah Jazz, but Westbrook could suit up for the team's home game against the New York Knicks on Friday.
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Brooks said he wasn't sure when either star would return to the lineup after both participated in contact drills Monday and that they won't hit the floor until they're deemed 100 percent ready. The coach said the pair "looked good" in practice, according to The Oklahoman.
“This week, I don’t know what day, they’ll get evaluated and we’ll go from there,” Brooks said.
“Just focus on [Westbrook's] work he put in today and continue to build on that. He’ll get evaluated later on this week and we’ll make some of those decisions [about Friday] later on.”
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The Thunder have gotten off to a 3-12 start this season. Reggie Jackson leads the team in scoring (20.1 points per game) and assists (7.8 per game).
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