Damian Lillard injured his right knee in Game 4 of the Lakers vs Blazers clash. Lillard was already ruled out for Game 5 of the series to have his leg further examined. But the game has been postponed till Friday, and it might be good news for the Blazers dugout.
The Blazers are already down 3-1 in the series, and an extended period of rest could help in healing Lillard’s injured knee. According to Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, Lillard may make a fast recovery.
“Blazers guard Damian Lillard on way to Portland to see team doctors, but source said no surgery is expected on his injured knee,” said Spears.
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Blazers guard Damian Lillard on way to Portland to see team doctors, but source said no surgery is expected on his injured knee.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 27, 2020
The postponing of games could be a blessing in disguise for the Portland guard. As after returning to the Bubble, he needs to be quarantined for four days. If Blazers can take a game away from the Lakers, they might have a shot to level the series when Lillard returns.
Also, Lillard had time to visit his family. He shared a post on his Instagram regarding the joy he felt when he met his son.
Importance of Damian Lillard for the Blazers
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Damian Lillard’s mere presence is more than enough for the Blazers to hope for better results in the Playoffs. Although Lillard is not averaging anyway close to his Bubble stats, it is expected when he is battling two injuries simultaneously. Besides his knee problems, Lillard also dislocated his left index finger in a Game 3 loss to LA.
Lillard has already opened up about how his dislocated finger was meddling with his ball-handling skills. Adding a right knee sprain only makes it worse.
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Dame has been phenomenal this season. Even LeBron James admitted that this matchup is different from a traditional one vs eight seed. Lillard is the X-factor for RIP City. Additionally, players like CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, and Jusuf Nurkic can take the load off of Lillard on any night.
But without Lillard, there would be no definitive leader in the locker room. And when you are facing an opponent like the Lakers, a team with a leader is no good.