Russell Westbrook is now out indefinitely.
The Los Angeles Clippers veteran broke his left hand on Friday night in their 140-115 win over the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena, the team confirmed. Specifics on the broken hand are not yet known. It’s unclear if he’ll need surgery, or if he’ll be able to return at any point this season.
Russell Westbrook has fractured his left hand. He is out for the remainder of the game.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) March 2, 2024
Westbrook appeared to injure his left hand early in the second quarter while trying to reach from behind and poke the ball out of Wizards guard Jordan Poole’s hands while on defense. Westbrook quickly reached for his left hand after doing so, clearly in some pain, but he remained in the game.
Westbrook again reached for his left hand at the next stoppage of play. He was eventually subbed out of the game, and did not return.
Westbrook is the second player in the league to break his left hand on Friday night. Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes did the same thing in their loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Westbrook had six points and an assist in 10 minutes off the bench on Friday. The 35-year-old entered Friday’s game averaging 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Clippers, his first full season with the team.
The Clippers, who announced Westbrook’s injury midway through the third quarter, held a 14 point lead over the Wizards at halftime. The Clippers then pushed ahead easily in the second half and rolled to the 25-point win without any issue. They held the Wizards to just 21 points in the third quarter, and committed just eight turnovers as a unit.
Kyle Kuzma led Washington with 32 points and seven rebounds. Poole added 16 points off the bench. The Wizards are now just 9-51 on the season, which is the worst record in the league.
James Harden led the Clippers with 28 points and eight assists after he shot 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and nine rebounds, and Paul George finished with 22 points. The Clippers shot better than 57% from the field as a team.
The win snapped a two-game losing skid for the Clippers, who have now won just two of five games coming out of the All-Star break. They hold a 38-20 record, and will travel to the Western Conference leading Minnesota Timberwolves next on Sunday.
