Damian Lillard has plantar fasciitis, will miss first career NBA game
Well, it appears as though the NBA’s Iron Man streak of 1,192 consecutive games played by Portland native A.C. Green is not going to be meeting resistance from the local franchise any time soon.
Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the team announced, and will be sidelined on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks, the first missed game of his NBA career.
Lillard, 25, is said to have been dealing with soreness in his left heel and aggravated the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s 116-109 loss to the Miami Heat.
The two-time All-Star is in his fourth season and had played in all 275 games to begin his career. Lillard is averaging 24.6 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 6.8 assists per game on 41.8 percent shooting and from the field and 36.4 percent from deep as the primary scorer for the 11-18 Blazers this year.
Lillard’s consecutive games played streak was the third-longest active one in the NBA behind DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers and Tristan Thompson of the Cavaliers.
The team also notes that there is “no guarantee Monday’s game will be the last Lillard will miss” with the injury. The Blazers play next against the Pelicans on Wednesday and against the Cavaliers on Saturday. No word on if Lillard will announce when his return to the lineup will be with a clever Instagram post.
Image Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
H/T theScore
