The injury bug continues to bite the Oklahoma City Thunder after Russell Westbrook suffered a fractured hand on Thursday, joining superstar Kevin Durant in sick bay.
Westbrook, who was tasked to carry a heavier load in their first two games after Durant underwent foot surgery, reportedly sustained a small fracture of the second metacarpal when his right hand hit Kendrick Perkins' elbow.
The 25-year-old point guard suffered the injury during the second quarter of their 93-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. ESPN reported that Westbrook will likely need four to eight weeks to recover.
Aside from Durant and Westbrook, regular rotation players Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb are also out along with Grant Jerrett, Mitch McGary and Anthony Morrow.
"It's unfortunate the way it is right now, but we have to figure out how to get better from all of our experiences," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of their current situation via ESPN. "Good teams and good players bounce back from adversity, and our guys understand that."
To add insult to injury, Westbrook was also involved in an altercation with a fan, who heckled him when he was making his way out of the playing court - an incident that did not sit well with Brooks.
"We appreciate them coming out and we always want to be respected as athletes and coaches, but some fans don't want to play by the fair rules," Brooks said via Reuters. "It doesn't happen often. I don't know if that happened tonight, you obviously know more than I do, but our guys are pros."
Without Westbrook and Durant, reports indicated that third-year forward Perry Jones will likely become the Thunder's main offensive option while waiting for their superstars to return.
The 23-year-old responded to the challenge on Thursday night as he finished with 32 points on 10-for-17 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.
"I'm just seeing the floor a lot differently, things are slowing down," said Jones, who admitted that he is getting words of encouragement from Durant. "Also listening to the best, telling me to be more aggressive. Just be myself. Go out there and play basketball."
