Thunder basketball: Russell Westbrook questionable against Atlanta after sprained ankle

s Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher ranks first among active players with 531 consecutive games played. Charlotte forward Boris Diaw is second with 383 straight games played.

Westbrook wasn’t made available to the media Saturday morning, but he said following the win at Orlando that he wouldn’t jeopardize his long term health just to keep his streak alive.

“I’m much more focused on my career,” he said. “I think missing a game instead of missing (more time) in the long run won’t hurt you. So we’ll just see how it feels and hopefully I’ll be able to play.”

Westbrook this season is averaging 23.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 35.3 minutes, all career-highs. He’s also averaging 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals.

It’s unclear who would start in place of Westbrook in the event he is unable to play. Rookie guard Reggie Jackson has served as the primary backup to Westbrook but has been erratic. Veteran guard Royal Ivey has been steady in a more limited role and could be an option as well.

James Harden, the team’s sixth man, seemingly wouldn’t start at point guard. But Harden has terrific playmaking ability, and he acknowledged that he could be used as a more of a lead guard in situational lineups throughout the game.

“I’ll have a lot more playmaking duties,” Harden said. “Not just scoring the ball, but also getting my teammates better shots and easier shots. We’ll see. Hopefully he plays, though.”

Page 2 of 2