Portland Trail Blazers star Aaron Afflalo has been ruled out for up to two weeks with a shoulder strain in what is a potentially huge blow for the team.
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Afflalo was forced to leave Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors with what was reported at the time as pain in his shoulder and triceps.
However, an MRI scan revealed the extent of the problem and the shoulder strain is expected to now keep him sidelined for between one and two weeks.
MRI confirms Portland G Arron Afflalo has a right shoulder strain. He's expected to be sidelined for 1-2 weeks. #RipCity
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) April 10, 2015
The injury blow comes at a critical time for Portland with the playoffs starting next Saturday, and so this injury effectively ends Afflalo’s regular season and puts him in doubt for the start of the post-season.
While the team will be hopeful of coping with his absence for the start of their first-round playoff series, they will be desperate to have him back sooner rather than later given that they are already light on the wings.
Afflalo had been receiving increased minutes after Wes Matthews was lost for the season with an Achilles tear, and so with the former Denver Nuggets star now out too, CJ McCollum will be expected to step up and take on the bulk of his playing time.
It has been a difficult season for the Trail Blazers despite the fact that they are still hanging on to the fourth seed in the Western Conference, as injuries have been an issue all year across the roster.
However, coach Terry Stotts will remain optimistic about their chances provided that Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge in particular can avoid any injury issues and lead the team to a deep playoff run.
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