Is Russell Westbrook playing tonight against Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs?

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Philadelphia 76ers v Washington Wizards - Game Three

The Washington Wizards host Game 4 of the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs and they hope that Russell Westbrook makes an appearance. They are down 0-3 to the 1st-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and if Westbrook doesn't lace-up, we might see the Wizards getting eliminated tonight.

He suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and was escorted to the locker room.

Russell Westbrook was frustrated after suffering an apparent ankle injury.

He left for the locker room in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/XWqJK3WOOq

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2021

NBA Playoffs 2021: Russell Westbrook might have to endure the pain barrier to play against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4

Russell Westbrook suffers an ankle injury

Russell Westbrook has been listed as questionable for the game tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Injury report for Game 4 of #WizSixers:

Russell Westbrook (right ankle sprain) and Ish Smith (left groin strain) are both questionable tomorrow.

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 30, 2021

He was questionable for Game 3 as well but a last-minute game-time decision led to him lacing up right before tip-off. Despite playing through pain, Westbrook dropped a triple-double to move up to third on the all-time NBA playoff triple-doubles list.

The Washington Wizards got Russell Westbrook treated in the locker room each time he checked out of the game. However, they couldn't afford to play without him, even with the injured ankle. Westbrook played nearly 34 minutes before stepping off the court late in the blowout. Bradley Beal spoke about his teammate, saying:

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"I kind of knew after last game he was going to play...Even if it was for two minutes, he was going to play."

Wanna better understand why no one thought Russell Westbrook would sit out this game?

There are a ton of anecdotes i this Westbrook feature that might explain it: https://t.co/aO4NKlAb0E pic.twitter.com/tDpUamb6jF

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 29, 2021

Russell Westbrook has a history of playing through injury and pain. Coach Scott Brooks spoke about Westbrook after the injury in Game 2. He said:

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"I’ve seen him bounce back from some very not-so-good moments where you think he might be out for a couple of weeks. He’s tough. He’s not happy that he wasn’t able to finish the game, but he’s a winning basketball player."

Even if Russell Westbrook does join the lineup, it is expected to be another game-time decision. The reality is that the Washington Wizards are down 0-3 to the dominant 76ers and recovering from that deficit is next to impossible.

We will have to wait until tip-off to see if Westbrook suits up for the game. However, don't be surprised if he eventually fights through the pain and ends up playing the game.

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