After a hot start to the 2022-23 NBA campaign, the Portland Trail Blazers have cooled off as of late. At 19-21, the Blazers wouldn't even qualify for the play-in tournament if the season ended today. The team has lost games four in a row and eight out of its last ten. So when Portland takes its home floor to host Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, every Blazers fan will surely want to know: Is Damian Lillard playing tonight vs. the Cavs?
Is Blazers' Damian Lillard playing vs. Cavs
Simply put, fans will have to wait for a definitive answer to this question.
The Blazers have listed Lillard as questionable for Thursday night's showdown with a left ankle sprain, per a tweet from the team's PR department. Additionally, forwards Nassir Little and Justise Winslow will remain out for Portland, while guard Gary Payton II (right ankle sprain) is probable to play.
Lillard, 32, is in his 11th year in the NBA, all as a member of the Blazers. He's averaging 27.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks across 28 appearances this season. Lillard is shooting the ball incredibly efficiently from inside the three-point arc thus far. His 53.3% shooting percentage on two-point field goals is the best of his career.
Considering the slump the Blazers are currently stuck in, it's hard to picture them coming away with a win over the Cavs on Thursday if they're without their best player. The team would likely need a huge night from Anfernee Simons to pull off the upset.
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