The Houston Rockets expect guard Russell Westbrook to miss at least the first few games of their first-round playoff series, and potentially more, due to a strained quadriceps muscle, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
The 31-year-old's return will depend on how he responds to treatment, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Houston will face Westbrook's former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the opening round next week.
The Rockets announced Wednesday following an MRI on Westbrook's right leg that he would be re-evaluated before the postseason. The injury sidelined him for Wednesday's loss to the Indiana Pacers, and he has already been officially ruled out for Houston's final seeding game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Westbrook was also held out of back-to-back wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings on Aug. 6 and 9, respectively, with what the Rockets listed as a right quad contusion. However, the nine-time All-Star returned for the following game against the San Antonio Spurs, logging over 27 minutes in Tuesday's defeat.
He did not experience any trouble with the injury during or immediately after the loss to San Antonio, a source told Feigen.
The 31-year-old has averaged 24.3 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in four games following the season's restart in Orlando.
