Russell Westbrook will miss Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

The head coach of the Houston Rockets Mike D’Antoni confirmed the news, while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

Westbrook was expected to miss the start of the playoffs due to a strained quadriceps. It is unclear when the explosive guard will be back in the lineup.

After taking an off day Saturday following Friday’s regular-season finale, the Rockets began their final playoff preparations on Sunday. Prior to practice, head coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed that Westbrook was out. 안전놀이터

“It’s not something that’s going to miraculously go away tomorrow,” D’Antoni said of Westbrook’s strain. “It’s going to be a few days.”

Feigen’s report indicated that the Rockets were expecting Westbrook to miss multiple games of the series. Game 2 is set for Thursday, with games held every other day until one team reaches four wins.

Now 31 years old, Westbrook is averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 35.9 minutes per game during a brilliant debut season in Houston. A nine-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017 MVP, Westbrook is shooting a career-high 47.2% with the Rockets — whose small-ball approach has opened up more opportunities to attack the rim. He is Houston’s No. 2 scorer, trailing only MVP finalist James Harden.

D’Antoni indicated that Eric Gordon would start in Westbrook’s place and draw the initial defensive assignment of All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Gordon, who is coming off a recent injury (left ankle sprain) of his own, played well on Friday versus Philadelphia with 13 points in 23 minutes, including 3-of-6 on 3-pointers (50%).

Game 1 between the Rockets and Thunder tips off at 5:30 p.m. Central on Tuesday evening, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.