LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Portland Trail Blazers leading scorer Damian Lillard has been ruled out of game five of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a sprained knee.
The decision deals a huge blow to Portland’s playoff chances as they are down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Lillard was injured in Monday’s game four against the Lakers. His was examined by team doctors on Tuesday.
Lillard led Portland to a 6-2 record to finish out the regular season in the NBA quarantine bubble as the Blazers earned a spot in a play-in series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Portland advanced into the first round with a 126-122 victory as Lillard finished with 31 points and 10 assists.
He averaged 37.6 points per game in the final eight games of the regular season and had a 61-point game on August 11 against the Dallas Mavericks.
© Agence France-Presse