Blazers: Lillard progressing well following surgery, but will miss remainder of season

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will miss the remainder of the season as he continues rehab following abdominal surgery in January.

The team announced the update Monday. The star guard underwent surgery for lower abdominal tendinopathy on Jan. 13. The team said Lillard has progressed well through the reconditioning phase of his rehab protocol.

Lillard’s injury flared up during the Tokyo Olympics, and it was clear from the start of the 2021-22 season that the injury was bothersome.

“It was just one of those things where I’ve always had control over how I moved and everything, and it had reached a point where my body couldn’t do what my mind wanted it to do, and go places that I wanted it to go,” Lillard said in January. “At some point you’ve got to play chess, you’ve got to make decisions that suit you for the long haul and not just right now.”

The team said Monday that Lillard has met several “key performance benchmarks” to date. He will now continue end-stage rehab over the next few weeks.

Playing under first-year coach Chauncey Billups, Portland is currently 26-44 and in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Blazers play Monday at 4 p.m. against the Detroit Pistons.