PREVIEW: Long Beach native Westbrook questionable when LA Clippers host Thunder (7p, Prime Ticket)

Published Oct. 19, 2018 9:57 p.m. ET

7p: WATCH ON PRIME TICKET/FOX SPORTS APP

If Russell Westbrook's season debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder comes Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, it could be because of the elixir his own court provided.

Westbrook, who missed Tuesday's season-opening defeat at Golden State as he continues to recover from a minor knee procedure and is a native of Long Beach, has been a participant in Thunder practices this week at UCLA. The court the Thunder is using for those practices bears Westbrook's name, after the UCLA product made a sizeable donation to his alma mater.

Westbrook's status for Friday's game remained unknown as of Thursday afternoon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFyZFNAxZj/?taken-by=foxsportswest

It means that a Clippers team that has admitted to being in something of a transition mode will have its hands full. The Clippers themselves are touting a defensive backcourt with Patrick Beverley and Avery Bradley, but the issue Friday could be finding enough offense, especially down the stretch.

The Clippers dropped a 107-98 decision after leading late in their season opener Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets. Tobias Harris led Los Angeles with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but the Clippers were outrebounded 56-47.

It does not bode well for the Clippers that the Thunder plans to make rebounding part of their emphasis Friday. If there was a deficiency for Oklahoma City on the defensive end, it was that Golden State hauled down 17 offensive rebounds on Tuesday and the Thunder was outrebounded 58-45 overall.

The Clippers are confident they will be competitive this season, but head coach Doc Rovers knows that finding a fearless scorer to put games away will be key. One did not emerge in the season opener.

https://www.foxsports.com/west/story/clippers-courtvision-revolutionary-technology-with-launch-of-clippers-digital-viewing-experience-101718

"The thing that stood out to me was what I said before the year, can we close games?," Rivers said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "(Thursday) we didn't do that. We had a lead, we had to go offense-defense a little bit and then down the stretch we really just didn't get good shots."

The Thunder knows that Westbrook will be their closer down the stretch of games. He was not there against the Warriors and a second-half rally to get Oklahoma City even ultimately went for naught.