Over his last seven games played, Houston guard Russell Westbrook is averaging 29.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.9 steals.

Those numbers are all up significantly from the first 19 he played in a Rockets uniform, in which the eight-time All-Star and former MVP tallied 21.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

His efficiency has risen by an even more dramatic margin, going from 39.9% shooting overall and 21.6% on three-pointers in the early stretch to 50.7% and 31.0%, respectively, over his last seven.

Westbrook’s Rockets have won six of those seven games, as well, with the only loss on Sacramento’s Dec. 9 buzzer-beater from over 30 feet away.

So, what changed? Some had wondered whether it might take more time than anticipated to fully integrate the contrasting styles between James Harden‘s often deliberate, half-court approach and the fast-paced mode of Westbrook, who tends to prioritize transition play.

But according to Westbrook himself, the answer might be even simpler: He’s finally feeling healthy. The 31-year-old guard explains:

I’m finding my rhythm and picking my spots. I’m obviously feeling better. My hand is better now. I’m hoping I can be able to move and handle the ball a little more.

Westbrook dealt with multiple dislocated fingers in the preseason. Though he didn’t miss any games and downplayed any potential impact at the time, it’s not hard to see the potential correlation between injuries to his right shooting hand and a downturn in shooting efficiency.

If Westbrook’s slow start can be attributed to injury, that’s probably more encouraging in the long run for the Rockets. Even if there were early growing pains amid the integration of two former MVPs, many of the shots Westbrook missed early on were wide open thanks to the attention drawn by Harden. Shooting below 40% from the field and barely above 20% from three-point range over a nearly 20-game sample would usually be alarming, and some wondered if Westbrook’s jump shot was broken.

But if the subpar early numbers were mainly due to injury, that leaves much more room for optimism that the recent seven-game sample is sustainable and not just an isolated hot stretch.

Westbrook has now scored 30 or more points in four of the team’s last six games after not doing it at all in the team’s first 20 games. Saturday’s blowout victory at Phoenix was the first time that both Westbrook and Harden have scored 30 or more points in the same game.

“I’m a positive guy,” Westbrook said postgame in Phoenix. “When I got here, I told guys, ‘There’s going to be adversity. When adversity hits, what are you going to do?’ I’ve been through so many different things in my career. My whole mindset has been positive.”

That positive approach seems to be paying off for Westbrook and the Rockets (20-9), who have now won nine of their past 12 games overall. They return to action Monday night at Sacramento (12-17) for the third game of a four-game West Coast road trip.