Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. He had to be helped off the court with his teammates' assistance.
Rodney Hood goes down with a non-contact injury 😬
Prayers up for Rondey 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ssemjjISWA— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 7, 2019
According to Blazers beat writer Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, the team called it a lower-left leg injury which will keep Hood out for the remainder of the game against the Lakers.
Hood being helped off pic.twitter.com/eoEp4uqHog
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 7, 2019
Hood, who spent his first four and a half seasons with the Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers, was traded to Portland at the 2018 trade deadline in exchange for Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin IV. In 20 games this year, the 27-year-old is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 49.3 percent from deep.
With Hood out, the Blazers are likely to give more minutes to newly-acquired Carmelo Anthony and veteran Kent Bazemore.
After making the Western Conference Finals last year, Portland is off to a slow start this season as they sit at 9-13 on the year and in 10th place in the Western Conference.
In June, Hood and the Blazers agreed to a two-year, $16 million dollar contract. The No. 23 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Duke, Hood has been a solid scorer and defender in the league so far in his career.
Hood'd injury adds to the growing list of hurt Trail Blazers, as shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. and big men Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins have missed time with lower-leg and shoulder injuries respectively.
Without Hood, more pressure will be put on star backcourt Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to share the scoring burden and keep the team afloat.
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