Considering the kind of season Damian Lillard was having, it was heartbreaking for his fans to see him go down just before All-Star break. Dame underwent an MRI which revealed a groin strain, and is expected to keep him out until after All-Star break.
Lillard was already dealing with back spasms earlier in the season, and this latest injury has come at a particularly unfortunate time.
According to further reports by Chris Haynes, Dame is still willing to perform at All-Star Weekend despite his injury. However, it is unlikely that his team would want to take that kind of risk.
Lillard left the game mid-way against Memphis on Wednesday and headed to the locker room after an awkward layup attempt. He is averaging 29.5 points (career-best), 7.9 rebounds (career-best) and shooting 40% from the three-point line (and 46 percent from the field) across the 54 games he has played so far.
This would have been the fifth All-Star appearance (third straight) of his career.
The Portland Trail Blazers are making a wild dash for the last playoff berth before time runs out. They are currently 25-31 (0.446) on the season, placed at the 9th spot on the West standings and 4 games outside of the playoff picture.
Trail Blazers Nation! You can check out the latest Portland Trail Blazers Schedule and dive into the Trail Blazers Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.