Rockets to rest Westbrook in advance of return to OKC

The Houston Rockets will tweak their plan to rest guard Russell Westbrook so he can play in a return to Oklahoma City this week, coach Mike D'Antoni said Monday. The team's stated plan is to avoid Westbrook from having to play in back-to-backs all season, and he has been held out in the second game of those four situations so far, with the team going 2-2 in his absence.

This week, Westbrook will sit for the first game -- Wednesday at the Atlanta Hawks -- before playing Thursday night in Oklahoma City, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his NBA career before being traded to Houston in July. Westbrook, 31, is averaging 24.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 31 games for Houston. He is shooting just 23.5 percent on 149 attempts from 3-point range.

He had 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists against his old team in a 116-112 win in Houston on Oct. 28. This will be the Rockets' only trip to OKC this season, with the season's final matchup set for Jan. 20 in Houston. --Field Level Media