Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard out 1-2 weeks with calf strain
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be out for up to two weeks with a calf strain.
Lillard, who left their loss to the Miami Heat early on Wednesday night due to the injury, will be evaluated again in one to two weeks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be re-evaluated in 1-to-2 weeks with a calf strain, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 27, 2022
Lillard appeared to injure his right leg while making a move to shoot over Heat guard Caleb Martin near the top of the key. Lillard was clearly in pain after he landed from his jump shot, and hopped a bit and grimaced in pain as he jogged back down the court.
He eventually left the game before being ruled out with the calf strain — something he said was done more out of caution than anything.
Tough to tell when or what caused it, but Lillard wincing when he put pressure on right side
He went to locker room.
📽️ ROOT/Trail Blazers pic.twitter.com/hPVCmsEMql— Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) October 27, 2022
"It wasn't nothing I was overly concerned about,” Lillard said. "I just knew that it didn't make sense to push through it for the fifth game of the season. Let's just get to the back and see.
"If this was a playoff game, I would have played. It would have been tight and uncomfortable, but I would have played."
Lillard could end up missing the next seven games for the Trail Blazers if he misses the full two weeks, meaning he could return in time for a Nov. 12 matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. If he’s out for just a week, Lillard could be back for a double-header against the Suns in Phoenix late next week.
Lillard led Portland with 22 points in their 119-98 loss to the Heat on Wednesday night, which snapped their four-game winning streak to open the season. He added two rebounds and two assists in his 26 minutes on the court.
The 32-year-old, who is in his 11th season with the Trail Blazers, has averaged a career-best 31 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists so far this year.
