Dort, Schroder, and Paul out vs. Clippers
Luguentz Dort is out for Friday's game against the Clippers. Dort is suffering from a right knee sprain.
Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder are also out. Paul is dealing with a left-hand sprain while Schroder is still in quarantine. Schroder has been back in the bubble since Monday, but still has more testing, and a series of interviews before the league will green light him to play.
Per a Thunder spokesperson, Schroder has not been cleared to play. With three guards on the shelf, Oklahoma City will be down to one true ball-handler.
Considering the Thunder's first-round matchup with Houston is set, it's hard to see Billy Donovan giving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extended minutes, which means you are going to see point guard by committee.
Hamidou Diallo, and Darius Bazley both picked up the slack when Paul and Gilgeous-Alexander rested on Wednesday, and you can expect more of the same when the Thunder play the Clippers. The reserves should carry most of the minutes for this last seeding game, giving Steven Adams and Danilo Gallinari a chance to relax before the grind playoffs start.
Westbrook Out
Russell Westbrook will miss the "first few games" of the Thunder's playoff series with the Rockets. This news comes courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.
According to Inside the Rockets, Westbrook underwent MRI on Wednesday for a strained right quad. Westbrook's absence will put pressure on James Harden to provide Houston with more offense.
If you're a Thunder fan, you hope Lu Dort can be healthy when the postseason starts; back in January, Dort helped hold Harden to 9/29 from the floor. In the event, Dort can't go, Donvan could be forced to rely on Andre Roberson. Roberson has seen limited action during the restart.
Donovan says he trusts Roberson because of his experience in meaningful games and believes he is getting back his "rhythm and timing to chase guys around." However, Donovan does not know what that means when it comes to Roberson getting more minutes.
Have you signed up for the Inside the Thunder Community Board? We are trying to create a place to share posts and have intriguing and fun conversations about all things related to the Oklahoma City Thunder! Once you sign up, feel free to post as you'd like.
With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.
