The Trail Blazers reportedly have gotten good news on an injury they don't need at this moment.
An MRI exam on forward Rodney Hood's left knee, injured in Sunday's Game 7 victory over the Nuggets, "returned clean" and he will be listed as day-to-day with the injury, The Athletic reported Monday, citing unidentified league sources.
MRI on Portland's Rodney Hood injured left knee returned clean and he will be day-to-day toward a return, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium .
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 13, 2019
The Blazers open the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday in Oakland against the two-time defending champion Warriors. Game time is 9 p.m. ET (ESPN). Game 2 is Thursday, also at Oracle Arena, before the series shifts to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday.
Hood, who was a revelation for Portland in the second round of the playoffs, was helped to the locker room after running into a screen in the third quarter of Sunday's game in Denver.
It appeared Hood hyperextended his knee in the incident and he went down to the floor, appearing to be in severe pain.
Rodney Hood goes down pic.twitter.com/EXZ1fUmAj2
— NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) May 12, 2019
Hood had to be assisted to the locker room with two men at his side as the Nuggets held a 60-55 lead in the third quarter and didn't return to Portland's 100-96 series-clinching win.
The former Jazz and Cavaliers forward was great in the Western Conference semifinal series, scoring at least 14 points in five of six games and 25 in a Game 6 win that prevented the Blazers' elimination and forced the decisive Game 7.