LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Russell Westbrook needed to be helped off court after suffering a sprained ankle in Oklahoma City Thunder’s 122-116 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
The 2017 NBA MVP grimaced in pain after rolling over on his ankle as he landed on Pelicans player Anthony Davis’s foot after going up for a rebound in the third quarter.
Westbrook attempted to get up and hobble off on his own but eventually needed assistance as he limped straight to the locker room. The Thunder later said Westbrook appeared to have suffered a sprained left ankle.
Westbrook has only recently returned to action after missing the first two games of the season following knee surgery.
The 29-year-old, who has averaged a triple-double for the past two seasons, had scored 17 points when he left the game, with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Oklahoma City recovered from the loss of their talisman to secure their fifth straight victory and improve to 5-4 for the season.
Paul George scored 23 points and Dennis Schroder weighed in with 22 off the bench as the Thunder hung on for the victory. New Zealander Steven Adams had 18 points.
The Pelicans fell to 4-6 after the loss, with Julius Randle leading their scorers with 26 points.
© Agence France-Presse
