The Portland Trail Blazers have lost another starting player to injury.
Veteran forward Jerami Grant has been ruled out of the team’s Saturday night matchup against the Sacramento Kings with left Achilles tendon soreness.
Grant played more than 40 minutes on Thursday, when the Blazers defeated the Kings 134-133 in overtime at the Moda Center, and he didn’t seem to be hampered by an ailment. Grant finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists and produced one of the most impressive individual highlights of the night in the fourth quarter, posterizing Kings center Maxime Raynaud with a powerful two-handed dunk.
Afterward, during a postgame interview in the Blazers’ locker room, Grant did not mention any physical limitations. So it’s unclear if he has been dealing with lingering discomfort or the injury popped up during Thursday night’s win.
Grant has played in all but one game this season — he missed a November matchup against the Phoenix Suns because of an illness — and has been one of the Blazers’ most consistent and important players. He entered Saturday averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 44% from the field, including 39% from three-point range.
He ranks third on the team in scoring and leads regular contributors in long-range shooting.
His absence only adds to the Blazers’ season-long injury misery. Eleven different Blazers have missed a combined 135 games this season due to injury or illness.
And the list will expand on Saturday as Grant, Jrue Holiday (right calf strain), Scoot Henderson (left hamstring tear), Matisse Thybulle (left thumb surgery), Blake Wesley (right foot fracture) and Damian Lillard (left Achilles tendon) will be sidelined.