Russell Westbrook finished with 14 points and 7 assists in his return from injury.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Russell Westbrook returned to the Clippers’ lineup after missing 12 games because of a fractured left hand Monday night.
He scored 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting, adding four rebounds and seven assists in the 133-116 loss to the Pacers.
Westbrook broke his hand against the Washington Wizards on March 1 and underwent surgery to repair the injury three days later, depriving the Clippers of an impact player off the bench. Westbrook is averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season, having moved to a reserve role following the acquisition of James Harden in a trade on Nov. 1.
The Clippers went .500 in Westbrook’s absence and were coming off a 121-107 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
“Having that pace and having energy on the floor, it’s definitely infectious,” head coach Ty Lue said ahead of Monday’s game. “We need that pop.”
Lue said the 35-year-old Westbrook is not on any minutes restriction because he was able to maintain his cardiovascular conditioning while out.
