Damian Lillard rolled his left ankle during the fourth quarter of the Trail Blazers’ loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday night, and while he was able to finish the game, Portland’s star point guard said the ankle became more painful and more swollen later in the night, per Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest. According to Quick, Lillard had to be transported from the locker room to the team bus on a cart after the game.
Although the injury may not compromise Lillard’s playoff availability, it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to go for Thursday’s game in Houston, or if the Blazers will play it safe and hold him out of some or all of the club’s final four regular season contests.
“I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I’m going to be smart about it,” Lillard said, according to Quick. “It’s the end of the season, we are going into the playoffs, so I have to be smart that one thing doesn’t turn into another.”
As Lillard notes, the 48-30 Blazers have clinched a playoff spot. The team also has a fairly strong hold on the No. 3 seed in the West, though that position could be jeopardized by a few losses to finish the season — the Jazz and Spurs are both still within reach of the No. 3 spot, with matching 45-33 records. As such, the Blazers can’t afford to take their foot off the gas pedal quite yet.
We’ll pass along updates on Lillard’s recovery timetable as they become available.