Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard left Wednesday night’s game against the Heat with a calf injury after a play in which he stepped on a defender’s foot and came up gingerly. The team ruled him out for the remainder of the game shortly afterward.
The play occurred midway through the third quarter. While being guarded by Caleb Martin near the three-point line, Lillard was doubled by Jimmy Butler and used a step-back move to set up a pass. As he attempted to get rid of the ball, he stepped on Martin’s foot and slipped, turning the ball over and immediately limping away from the play.
Lillard finished the game with 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field in 26 minutes, as Miami went on to win, 119–98.
Lillard had been off to a hot start to the season, guiding Portland to a 4–0 start before Wednesday’s defeat. Through the team’s first four games, the six-time All-Star was averaging 33.3 points per game while shooting 40% from the three-point line. The perfect start to the year through four games was Portland’s best since 1999.
Lillard missed significant time last year due to an abdominal injury, playing in just 29 games.
The Trail Blazers will play next on Friday against the Rockets.
