Blazers Star Damian Lillard Sustains Calf Strain Injury

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard has sustained a calf strain injury.

Portland Trail Blazers superstar guard Damian Lillard has sustained a calf injury that could keep him sidelined for one to two weeks. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Lillard will be re-evaluated by the team medical staff after a couple of weeks.

Lillard suffered the injury during a recent game against the Miami Heat. In the third quarter of that contest, Lillard came up hobbling after putting up a jump shot. It appeared that the injury was non-contact, as he limped on his own strength back to the Blazers’ locker room. The All-Star guard didn’t return to the game, and the Blazers were soundly defeated by the Heat.

The Heat loss was only the Blazers’ first through five games. They started the season on a high note, notching four straight wins, including big victories over the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets. As expected, Damian Lillard has been a key cog for the Blazers, tallying an incredible stat line of 31.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. He’s also shooting the ball really well, averaging a 49.5% overall clip from the field, including 39.2% from the three-point line. His exploits to start the season helped him garner the Western Conference Player of the Week award.

Expected to rebuild this season, the Blazers are having a surprisingly good start. Their team defense has been superb, and Lillard is receiving plenty of solid contributions from his supporting cast. Anfernee Simons has been spectacular in his newfound role as Lillard’s second fiddle, and the likes of Jerami Grant, Josh Hart, and Jusuf Nurkic are chipping in productive outings.