Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard to undergo abdominal surgery
FILE – Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP
Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard will undergo abdominal surgery on Thursday and be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
The six-time All-Star has been experiencing issues with his abdomen the entire season. He has missed the past five games and 11 overall.
Reports indicate Lillard’s timeline for a return will be determined after discussions with doctors and specialists following the procedure. At this point, Lillard is expected to return later this season.
Lillard reportedly aggravated the injury during the Tokyo Olympics while playing for Team USA this summer.
Portland is 4-7 in the games Lillard has missed this season.
The injury affected Lillard’s shooting early this season and he never fully recovered. The 10-year veteran is shooting career lows from the field (40.2 percent) and 3-point range (32.4)
Lillard, 31, is averaging 24 points and 7.3 assists in 29 games.
Portland also has been without shooting guard CJ McCollum (lung). He will miss his 17th straight game when the Trail Blazers (16-24) open a six-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.
