Damian Lillard injury update: Trail Blazers star to miss six-to-eight weeks following abdominal surgery
The Trail Blazers will be without Damian Lillard for the foreseeable future.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, Lillard is set to undergo abdominal surgery and will miss six-to-eight weeks.
Through 29 games, Lillard is averaging 24.0 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds on .402/.324/.878 shooting splits. The Trail Blazers now have a 16-24 record following a win over the Nets, placing them 10th 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?
On Nov. 14, Lillard was officially ruled out for the first time this season in a game against Denver with ” lower abdominal tendinopathy.” It’s an injury he said he “irritated” earlier in the month when the Trail Blazers faced the Cavaliers.
This same injury sidelined Lillard for five games between Nov. 30 and Dec. 8.
How long will Damian Lillard be out?
According to Yahoo Sports’ Haynes, Lillard is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks once he receives abdominal surgery on Thursday, Jan. 13.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will undergo surgery tomorrow to address his abdomen injury and he will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks, league sources @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 12, 2022
In line with that timeline, Lillard could miss anywhere between 19 to 25 games and his potential return could depend on where the Blazers are in the standings by the time he’s ready.
In November, Lillard 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
“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
— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) November 4, 2021
Trail Blazers schedule 2021-22
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | National TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 13 | at Nuggets | 10:00 p.m. | TNT |
| Jan. 15 | at Wizards | 7:00 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 17 | at Magic | 7:00 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 19 | at Heat | 7:30 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 21 | at Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 23 | at Raptors | 6:00 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 25 | vs. Timberwolves | 10:00 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 26 | vs. Mavericks | 10:00 p.m. | – |
| Jan. 28 | at Rockets | 8:00 p.m. | – |
