Russell Westbrook Injury: Can Oklahoma City Thunder Win An NBA Title Without Point Guard?

Fortunate to be up 2-0 in their series against the No. 8 Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder may find life in the playoffs moving forward a little more difficult.

As Royce Young of CBSSports.com reported on Friday, Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery for a meniscus tear in his right knee. Only two games into the postseason, there is no timetable for Westbrook's return.

The injury occurred during the second quarter of Game 2 when Westbrook and Rockets rookie Patrick Beverly collided. With Beverly attempting to steal a pass, his hip collided with Westbrook's right knee.

Clearly upset with the timing of the injury and because he feels bad for the NBA star, Thunder General manager Sam Presti addressed the media regarding the current status of the 24-year-old point guard.

"Our team is disappointed for Russell," Presti said to reporters from ESPN. "We know what kind of competitor he is, how much he wants to be out there, but it's a medical decision."

In the two postseason games against the Rockets, the former UCLA standout is averaging 24 points and 7 assists. When combined with All-Star Kevin Durant, the two make up the best 1-2 punch outside of the Miami Heat duet of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Playing in 394-consecutive games and 45-straight postseason games, Westbrook has become the NBA's model of consistency when it comes to staying healthy. This is a young man that never missed a high school or collegiate game, so this knee injury comes as somewhat of a surprise given his durability.

While the timetable is unknown for a Westbrook return, OKC fans and the organization will continue to hold out hope that because of Westbrook's young age, and the fact that he's never been injured before, he'll recover quickly. After all, they'll need his scoring and distributing to remain the favorites in the Western Conference.

For now, the Thunder will rely on the combination of veteran Derek Fisher and young guard Reggie Jackson to control the point position.