How Long is Russell Westbrook Out? What We Know About Hand Injury, Surgery

The Los Angeles Clippers are in Houston for a 7:30 p.m. ET game against the Rockets on ESPN Wednesday, though at least part of the title contender's focus remains on a player who won't be suiting up for the national broadcast.

Russell Westbrook remains sidelined after fracturing his left hand against the Washington Wizards on March 1. The nine-time All-Star underwent successful surgery on Monday, the Clippers said earlier this week, the start of a rehabilitation process to get Westbrook back on the court before the playoffs. Westbrook has missed two (soon to be three) games since suffering the injury. But what's next for the 75th Anniversary Team member and L.A.?

Here's what we know about Westbrook's status going into Wednesday night.

What Happened to Westbrook?

Westbrook injured his non-shooting hand early in the second quarter of the Clippers' 140-115 thrashing of the visiting Wizards on Friday night. The nine-time All-NBA performer attempted to poke the basketball loose from Wizards guard Jordan Poole, then immediately afterward grabbed his left hand—flexing it multiple times.

After remaining in the game for a few more minutes, Westbrook was subbed out and went to the locker room for further evaluation.

"Just feel bad for Russ right now," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters immediately after the game, via The Athletic, before knowing surgery was the next step. "You never want to see a player get hurt. Jordan Poole drove around and he tried to deflect from the back. I think he hit his elbow with his hand. We don't know what timetable, don't know if he needs surgery or anything yet, but he's out right now. So just trying to figure it out."

When Will Westbrook Return for Clippers?

The Clippers described Westbrook's status as "week to week" Monday after Westbrook underwent surgery, creating hope that the guard could return before the regular-season's end in mid-April, per ESPN. Westbrook returned in less than four weeks, missing only 14 games, after breaking his right hand in 2014. Yes, that was a decade ago, and Westbrook is now 35. Still, a similar timeline would have L.A. getting the future Hall of Famer back for an end-of-season stretch that includes eight April games across two weeks before the playoffs tip off.

"He'll start rehab, and we're just going to check on him weekly just to kind of see how he feels once he starts his rehab," Lue said Monday after a 113-106 Clippers loss to the Bucks.

Before the injury, Westbrook was the only Clipper to have played every game this season.

Westbrook's 2023-24 NBA Season Stats

Over his 16-year NBA career, Westbrook has taken on plenty of titles—league scoring leader, triple-double king, MVP. But this year, he added "dynamic sixth man" into the mix.

Westbrook came into this season as the Clippers' starting point guard after joining the team (fresh off a tumultuous run with the Lakers) for the back half of last year's campaign. But something wasn't working. The Clippers acquired James Harden in a late-October trade, then shortly after, a six-game losing streak followed. A loaded starting lineup also featuring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George wasn't meshing. So Westbrook volunteered to move to the bench.

That move has paid off. The former No. 4 overall pick is averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game this season. But beyond that, the quick guard brings energy to L.A.'s second unit—whether it's by upping the pace, providing rim pressure or showcasing the playmaking ability that once made him one of the NBA's biggest stars. And while he thrives off the bench, the new starting lineup has found its rhythm (plus-12.6 points per 100 possessions, per CBS Sports).

The Clippers went 35-13 after Westbrook became one of the league's top sixth-men, up until the injury. After starting 1-1 in his absence, the team now sits at 39-21, good for fourth in the Western Conference. The Clips are two games behind the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the third seed, and three games up on the New Orleans Pelicans in the No. 5 slot.

Bones Hyland Taking Bigger Role For L.A.?

Leonard, Harden and George act as the Clippers' "Big Three," though clearly Westbrook's role has also been paramount during an NBA Finals pursuit. And after dealing some of its depth in the Harden trade, L.A. is suddenly short on ball-handlers with the UCLA product out. Harden said, with Westbrook unavailable, the Clippers will miss "everything he brings to the game: his athleticism, his energy, his playmaking ability, his leadership."

In the meantime, Bones Hyland could help fill the gap.

The reserve guard checked in for the first time since January 31 after Westbrook's injury and has played double-digit minutes in both contests since. Hyland—shooting just 35.1 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep across 22 games this season—believes he can up his play as the backup point guard while L.A. isn't at full strength.

"Just providing what I provide, coming in doing what I always do," Hyland said Friday night, via The Athletic, on his contributions. "Nothing changed, I'm just back in the rotation now. It feels good to be back, man, it feels really good."