Russell Westbrook to Play Game 5 vs Thunder; Rockets Now 5-Point Favorites
- Russell Westbrook will reportedly play in Game 5 of the Houston Rockets’ series with the Oklahoma City Thunder when NBA play resumes
- Tied at 2-2, Westbrook returns for a pivotal game against his former team over the weekend
- How will the return of a former MVP impact Game 5?
The Rockets and Thunder have already played out a fascinating series. After struggling in the first two, Oklahoma City pulled it back to 2-2 with two great team performances. A former MVP will be thrown into the mix on Saturday for Game 5, with Russell Westbrook playing his first game of the postseason following a quad injury.
Away from the obvious factor of Westbrook playing his former team, his return will change the look of this series.
After opening as 4.5-point favorites, Houston are now favored by a full five going into Saturday’s game.
Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds at FanDuel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | -5 (-110) | -215 | O 226 (-110) |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +5 (-110) | +180 | U 226 (-110) |
Odds taken August 28th
Westbrook Mixes Things Up
Westbrook weakens Houston as a shooting team, but it obviously opens other doors. He gives another ball-handling option, another guy who can penetrate the defense and hit the open man.
Houston have done a good job of moving the ball in this series so far. The string of threes missed in Game 4 is a consequence of the way they choose to play – having Westbrook back gives them a different guy to go to, and should help them get easy points in transition.
Eric Gordon has done a good job off the dribble in this series, and Austin Rivers has been useful, but Westbrook is a different level. Trading Clint Capela opened up the floor for Westbrook to make those trademark, brutal drives towards the basket.
ESPN story with @espn_macmahon on Houston's Russell Westrook participating in his first full-speed 5-on-5 since sidelined with a strained quad. "He looked as explosive as ever," one source said. https://t.co/TB9TaqIdzJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 28, 2020
Often guarded by opposition centers, Westbrook presents a matchup issue for Billy Donovan. Donovan has had some success with small line-ups in this series. Will he risk having Danilo Gallinari at the five guarding Westbrook?
Defending Harden Changes
As was covered in our Game 5 preview, the Thunder have thrown Luguentz Dort at James Harden, allowing Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to avoid the hefty defensive workload of guarding one of the greatest ever scorers. With Westbrook on the floor, more will be asked of Paul, Schroder and Gilgeous-Alexander on the defensive end.
Luguentz Dort’s defense on James Harden has been amazing this series 🗜
(🎥 @balldontstop )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 27, 2020
Harden can play off-ball more, providing spacing for Westbrook. If Westbrook brings it up the floor, Harden can act as a decoy or cut to the hoop when Westbrook draws the help on drives. The fit as a duo wasn’t obvious, but they have found a way to co-exist this season, splitting the ball handling duties.
Harden looked exhausted late in Game 4 – his jumpers were often short and he repeatedly turned down driving opportunities. There will be more offensive possessions when Harden can take a back seat, and Mike D’Antoni should feel more comfortable giving Harden fewer minutes.
Less Shooting Could Help OKC
Westbrook will still shoot the three when he’s left open (perhaps more often than he should), but he is the worst shooter in Houston’s rotation. He’s shot under 26% from beyond the arc this season on 3.7 attempts per game.
As a result, Westbrook’s presence can be an issue for the Rockets when he’s not got the ball in his hands.
Eric Gordon in attack mode!@okcthunder 30@HoustonRockets 45#NBAPlayoffs on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/iU6jMMNPTE
— NBA (@NBA) August 18, 2020
Houston were able to get shooters open in the first four games. Even if the shots weren’t always falling, the Thunder were unable to guard all of the perimeter players when Harden or Gordon drove to the basket.
With the Thunder effectively ignoring Westbrook when he’s off-ball, it’s crucial he cuts well to the basket to compensate for the negative effect he has on spacing.
Steven Adams becomes an easier defensive fit for the Thunder with Westbrook on the floor. His rim protection is important – he could still have a key role to play in this series.
Westbrook Alters the Series
This series will look different with Westbrook involved. That’s the case with any high-usage player returning to action, but it’s particularly notable in the case of these Rockets.
Their offense has to change with Westbrook back in action, and it might take them some time to get back into rhythm after he sat out eight of their last nine games.
James Harden this series when being guarded by Lu Dort.
36 PTS
14 AST
8-34 FG
6-25 3PTClamps by the rookie👀 pic.twitter.com/IcNeJPmzlk
— . (@WBallCentral) August 28, 2020
Westbrook had three great games against OKC in the regular season. Houston went 1-2, but the nine-time All-Star put up good numbers. He did so efficiently too, shooting 39-for-66 from the field.
The star power of Westbrook and Harden, paired with the shooting around them, should be enough for the Rockets to win this series, but the margin for error is tiny. The Rockets could take a game to re-adjust to Westbrook, and that could see the Thunder take a 3-2 lead.
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
