Update (Sunday): The Oklahoma City Thunder said on Sunday that an MRI confirmed that center Kendrick Perkins, who left Game 4 of a Western Conference first round playoff series, suffered a righ hip muscle strain and that his return to action would be "based on his progress and recovery in the coming days."

The Thunder advance to the second round and are awaiting the winner of a series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. The Lakers currently lead the series 3-1.

Original Post (Saturday): Perk is hurt.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins left Game 4 of a Western Conference first round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks with a strained right hip on Saturday.

Perkins left the game with 4:09 remaining and the game tied at 15. The injury appeared to occur as Perkins attempted to defend Mavericks guard Jason Terry on the perimeter. Perkins was whistled for a foul as Terry turned the corner to drive and he held his right hip in apparent pain before immediately substituting out of the game. He left Game 4 with a line of 0 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists on 0-for-1 shooting in 8 minutes.

Perkins, 27, missed just one game during the 2011-2012 regular season, posting averages of 5.1 points, 6.6 rebounds 1.1 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game in 65 starts for the Thunder.

The Thunder went on to win Game 4, 103-97, to sweep the defending champions. 

"It's his right hip," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said after the game. "We'll evaluate it tomorrow and see how he feels tomorrow. That's all we know as of right now. Perk is a big part of what we do. He brings everything he has to the team, his toughness has really changed our dynamics. The way we think of ourselves here, Perk has really helped us." 

Oklahoma City will go on to face either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers currently lead that series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Sunday in Denver.