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Damian Lillard leaves NBA Bubble amidst knee injury concerns and NBA Boycott by players

Samir Mehdi
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Damian Lillard leaves NBA Bubble

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is due to exit the NBA bubble following a knee injury as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Game 4 of the first round series between Damian Lillard’s Portland Trailblazers and the West’s number seeded team, the Los Angeles Lakers commenced on August  24th, which has been labelled as Mamba day to honour the late, great, Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers held a substantial lead on the Trailblazers throughout the entirety of the bout. Midway through the 3rd quarter with 7:17 minutes left in the game, Damian Lillard drove hard to the basket and was challenged by Los Angeles forward Markieff Morris. There was no contact between Lillard and Morris yet this resulted in Dame awkwardly planting his feet on the ground.

The Portland All Star tried to shake off the injury but was replaced by guard Anfernee Simons at the 5:18 mark in the 3rd quarter.

Damian Lillard had 2 MRIs conducted on his right knee

On the 26th of August, following the blowout loss against the Lakers, Damian Lillard had 2 MRIs performed on his right knee which revealed that the injury was a knee sprain. This must have been a sigh of relief for the Portland Trailblazers organization as a knee sprain is much less catastrophic that other non-contact knee injuries.

Shams Charania reports Portland star Damian Lillard will leave the NBA bubble

On August 27th, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweeted out that Damian Lillard will in fact leave the NBA bubble to further evaluate his right knee injury. Lillard will be returning to Portland, Oregon.

The Portland Trailblazers will be without their leader for Game 5 against the Lakers as any timetable on the Bubble MVP’s return to play is not conclusive.

Without the services of Damian Lillard for Game 5 of the series, Lakers should be able to wrap it up and move to the next round, provided the players decide to continue with the season. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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