A hand injury might well be the only thing that can stop Damian Lillard these days.
The Trail Blazers guard, whose scorching performances during the NBA restart launched Portland on a thrilling run through the seeding games and a Play-In vs. Memphis, left Thursday’s Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers after suffering a finger dislocation in the third quarter.
Damian Lillard (left index finger dislocation) will not return. X-rays are negative.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 21, 2020
The team announced late in the fourth Lillard wouldn’t return, but X-rays had been negative. His status for Game 3 on Saturday night (8:30 ET, ABC) has yet to be updated. When asked after Game 2 about his status for Game 3, he said: “Oh, I’m playing.”
On Friday, Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters he expects Lillard to be wearing a splint for Game 3, but he also expects him to play.
Portland Coach Terry Stotts says be believes Damian Lillard will be wearing a splint tomorrow, but reiterated what Lillard said yesterday: that he’ll play tomorrow.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) August 21, 2020
“It’s just sore,” Lillard said Thursday night. “A little bit tender to the touch. Dislocated it. A little bit sore, a little bit swollen. Uncomfortable.”
Portland already trailed L.A. 85-55 when Lillard left the game late in the third quarter. The Blazers went on to lose, 111-88, knotting up the first-round series at 1-1.
Lillard, who averaged 37.6 points and 9.6 assists during the seeding games in Orlando, exited Thursday’s game with 18 points.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
