The Oklahoma City Thunder may be without their star point guard Russell Westbrook after the team announced on Friday that the three-time NBA all-star will undergo surgery on a torn right meniscus.

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti said, "Our players' health is our first and foremost concern. The Thunder's medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue."

"We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue."

Westbrook sustained an injury to his right knee in Game 2 of the Western Conference Playoffs, even though he did not exit the game. No announcements have been made as to when we will return.

The meniscus does the job of evenly distributing weight in the knee and cushioning it during movement. A tear is caused by a sudden turn in the knee when the foot is firmly planted and could mean a lack of mobility.

There are three types of meniscus tears: minor, moderate and severe. Each one comes with its own timetable for return to physical activity.

Oklahoma City is riding a 2-0 series lead heading into Saturday's matchup against the Houston Rockets. There's controversy over whether Rocket's guard Patrick Beverly intentionally lunged at Westbrook's knee when the injury took place.