Damian Lillard out for at least a week due to injury / News - Basketnews.com

Damian Lillard felt pain going back on defense against the Jazz. The strain is reportedly in other area of the calf he had injured before this season. The club is expected to take the process cautiously.

Credit: AFP - Scanpix Credit AFP - Scanpix

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard exited the game against the Utah Jazz in the third quarter Saturday night after feeling pain in his right calf, the same one he injured last month.

Damian Lillard

MIN:35.16PTS:26.27 (56.95%)REB:4.27As:7ST:0.55BL:0.27TO:3.82GM:11ProfileNBA2022/2023

After additional tests, the team released an announcement regarding the player's health.

"An MRI taken Saturday night postgame vs. Utah on Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard revealed a grade one strain to the soleus muscle in the right lower leg. Lillard will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks,"the statement reads.

Up to the point when he left the game, Lillard was having one of the worst shooting nights in recent memory, making just 2 shots out of 14 and just one triple out of 12.

"I haven't felt it since the first time I strained it," Lillard told after the game. "The first time I hurt it, I felt it. This time, I took off running back on defense and felt like it tightened up. I kind of just started pushing on my toes. I could tell it was irritated. I kind of had a conversation with myself. I wanted to see how I felt. I was sitting for two weeks. I didn't want to go out there and do the same thing over again. I came out and let them look at it and that was it."

With Lillard going out due to a similar injury several weeks ago, the team is expected to take everything cautiously, NBA journalist Chris Haynes reports. The strain Lillard is recovering from now is reportedly in a different area of the calf than the one before.

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