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While Damian Lillard is set to miss the two months at the very least after undergoing surgery on his abdomen, the Portland Trail Blazers will get their second-best player back. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, CJ McCollum is set to make his return to the team on Monday against the Orlando Magic following a lengthy recovery from a collapsed lung:
Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum is expected to return to lineup on Monday vs. the Magic in Orlando, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. McCollum fully recovered from a collapsed lung that he suffered on Dec. 4 against Boston.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 14, 2022
McCollum last played for the Blazers on December 4th vs. Boston and was diagnosed with a lung problem. Portland was hoping he'd be able to return earlier than this, but they'll undoubtedly be pleased he's back on the court, especially with Dame sidelined for the distant future. McCollum's injury was actually fully healed just before Christmas, but the organization wanted to make sure he spent the last few weeks getting in game-shape.
CJ is enjoying a solid campaign for the struggling Blazers, averaging 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on a 39% clip from three-point land. Portland is also without Norman Powell right now because of COVID-19, while Larry Nance and Cody Zeller are injured as well. The Blazers won two straight earlier this week and even beat Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets, but Chauncey Billups' squad was then blown out by the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Their six-game road trip continues on Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
