Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum will not play in Monday night's contest against the Golden State Warriors due to a left ankle sprain, per Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report.
https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1219065372780818433
McCollum played in 42 of Portland's first 43 games prior to his absence on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 28-year-old might be facing a more extended absence due to the ankle sprain, though he was able to walk off the floor without crutches on Friday night (via Jamie Goldberg of The Oregonian):
Earlier in the night (against the Dallas Mavericks), McCollum had sprained his left ankle after landing awkwardly on Maxi Kleber’s foot following a layup attempt. It was a positive sign that he could walk without crutches, but McCollum knew from experience that it could take a day or two before he really understood the extent of the sprain.
“It’s tough,” McCollum said. “Injuries are part of the game. It’s unfortunate that I was next up on the list. We just got to try to battle and fight through it, next man up.”
This is an unfortunate setback for the Blazers, especially given they have to host the likes of the Mavs, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets after their tilt with the Warriors on Monday.
CJ McCollum is having another fine offensive season for the Blazers this 2019-20, averaging 21.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 37.5 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Blazers are running short on backcourt depth. Rodney Hood is done for the year with a torn Achilles, and Portland just sent Kent Bazemore to the Sacramento Kings. Now, the injury-riddled Rip City team will have to find an answer if they hope to stay within striking distance of a playoff spot.
Portland is 18-26 on the season, 11th in the Western Conference standings.
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