Bad news out of Portland
The Portland Trail Blazers took a huge blow to their starting lineup as Wesley Matthews went down in the third quarter of their 94-75 win against the Dallas Mavericks with what appeared to be an Achilles injury. He was helped off the court after staying down a while an an MRI showed he ruptured his Achilles tendon and he’ll be out for the rest of the season.
The Blazers not only lose one of their best defenders on the perimeter defenders, but also a great 3-point shooter and compliment to Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge‘s offensive game.
Portland has depth at the wing, acquiring Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee at the trade deadline, but it’s still going to be tough to replace Matthews, as he is being quoted by teammates to be a great presence in the locker room and the heart/soul of the team.
Wes said he heard a pop at the time of the injury and thought someone was behind him during the non-contact play, but he looked back and nobody was there:
“It’s disbelief, you know. I’m sitting up there in that tube, MRI, I don’t hear noise, I don’t feel my Achilles, I’m just — I can’t believe I’m up there while my team’s battling. I haven’t processed all of it yet.”
Portland currently sits at the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference, with the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers staying very close behind.
OS REWIND: Damian Lillard Talks Portland Trail Blazers Being Underdogs