Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard did not play Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs because of a right hamstring injury.
“I don’t know if there was a specific moment that he injured it,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said before the game. “I talked to him, he said he felt it [Thursday] in practice … and [Friday] it was still bothering him. I talked to Geoff Clark, our health and performance director, it wasn’t getting any better, so it felt like it was best to not play him tonight.”
Stotts said it was “too early to say” whether the hamstring injury would keep Lillard out against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
Stotts said Derrick Jones, Jr. would get the start in Lillard’s absence.
Lillard is averaging 28.7 points, 7.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds on the year and has generated some momentum in the MVP conversation.