The Portland Trail Blazers were without Damian Lillard in their matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
The team announced before the game that Lillard was out with an abdominal injury. It's the first time the six-time All-Star missed a game this season.
Through 13 games, Lillard is averaging 20.0 points, 8.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds on .380/.268/.841 shooting splits. The Trail Blazers now have a 6-8 record following their loss to the Nuggets, placing them ninth in the Western Conference standings.
What's next for Lillard? Here's everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
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What is Damian Lillard's injury?
Lillard was officially ruled out of Portland's game against Denver with "lower abdominal tendinopathy." It's an injury he said he "irritated" earlier this month when the Trail Blazers faced the Cleveland Cavaliers.
How long will Damian Lillard be out?
There's no word yet on if Lillard is going to miss more than one game, but it sounds like he might not be sidelined for long.
According to The Athletic's Jason Quick, Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said Lillard is day-to-day and that he had to convince him to not play against the Nuggets.
Additionally, it appears as though it's an injury Lillard has been playing through for a while.
Lillard recently told the media that he's played with it "for a few years now" and that he's "kind of immune to playing with it." It was reported that Lillard dealt with the injury during Team USA's gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics.
Damian Lillard on core injury that "tightened up a little bit" in first half of lass to Cavs #RipCity
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) November 4, 2021
"I've played with it for a few years now, so I'm kinda immune to playin' with it. I've played well, done a lot of things with it being irritated." pic.twitter.com/GT3wshQTnb
Trail Blazers upcoming schedule 2021-22
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Tues, Nov. 16 | vs. Toronto |
| Thurs, Nov. 18 | vs. Chicago |
| Sun, Nov. 21 | vs. Philadelphia |
| Wed, Nov. 24 | vs. Denver |
| Thurs, Nov. 25 | at Sacramento |
| Sat, Nov. 27 | at Golden State |
| Tues, Nov. 30 | at Utah |
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