Russell Westbrook was cleared to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup on Thursday for the first time since undergoing another procedure on his knee.

“We are all very excited to have Russell back," said Sam Presti. "He has worked extremely hard throughout his rehabilitation, and his addition will allow us to build on the progress we have made in his absence. As Russell integrates back into the team we are going to manage the transition by building his minutes over time and will evaluate his availability in back-to-back situations. These steps are an effort to control the areas of his return to play where feasible, given the reduced practice and conditioning time during the regular season. Our goal is to create the best foundation for Russell and the team as we head into the postseason.”