Russell Westbrook returned to the Los Angeles Clippers lineup after he missed 12 matches due to a fractured left hand Monday night.
Westbrook scored 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting. He added four rebounds and seven assists in the 133-116 defeat to the Indiana Pacers.
Russell fractured his hand against the Washington Wizards on March 1 and underwent surgery to repair the injury three days later, taking away a key player from the Clippers’ squad. Westbrook averages 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season. The Clippers put Westbrook in reserve after the team bought James Harden in a trade on Nov.1.
The Clippers were .500 in Westbrook’s absence and were fresh off a 121-107 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
“Having that pace and having energy on the floor, it’s definitely infectious,” head coach Ty Lue said ahead of Monday’s game. “We need that pop.”
Lue said Russell Westbrook is not on any minute restriction because he maintained his cardiovascular conditioning while out.
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