The Portland Trail Blazers were pummeled 135-115 by the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, and they now have even bigger concerns.
Blazers superstar Damian Lillard left Monday night’s game with a non-contact knee injury suffered in the third quarter.
Another look at Damian Lillard's non-contact knee injury pic.twitter.com/263IjR9C3e
— NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) August 25, 2020
Damian Lillard left the court with an apparent leg injury. pic.twitter.com/GXG8Iq44or
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 25, 2020
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, Lillard is undergoing an MRI on his right knee.
Yahoo Sources: Portland star Damian Lillard is undergoing an MRI on his right knee.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 25, 2020
Lillard averaged 30 points per game in the 2019-20 regular season, and has been putting together incredible performances in the bubble. Hopefully the knee injury isn’t serious.
Update: Chris Haynes reports that the results of Damian Lillard’s MRI were inconclusive, and Lillard will undergo a second MRI on Tuesday.
Portland Trail Blazers say the results of an MRI of Damian Lillard's right knee were inconclusive and he will undergo a second MRI Tuesday afternoon.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 25, 2020
Update II: The second MRI revealed a right knee sprain for Damian Lillard, and he’s been ruled out for Game 5 of the Blazers-Lakers series.
The results of a second MRI confirm Damian Lillard with a right knee sprain. Lillard is listed as out for Game 5.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 25, 2020
So, while the details are vague, it at least appears that Lillard has avoided serious injury. But it likely ends the Blazers’ season all the same. Winning three games in a row vs the Lakers would’ve been an extreme longshot *with* Lillard, and without him, the Blazers will be massive underdogs in a must-win Game 5.
