Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard said Thursday that he will miss three to four games due to the groin injury he sustained on Feb. 12.
Lillard suffered the injury against the Memphis Grizzlies and the ailment forced him to sit out the All-Star Game. The first contest he will miss is Friday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
“You can’t say, ‘Alright, I’m going to play through it’ because it can be bad,” Lillard told reporters on Thursday. “I’ve been doing all the training and rehab that I can possibly do so I’m sore as hell.
“I have to take time off to let it heal completely. Once that happens, I will be back out there.”
Lillard didn’t participate in Thursday’s practice.
Lillard ranks fourth in the NBA with a 29.5 scoring average. He also averages 7.9 assists.
Lillard has scored at least 20 points in 21 straight appearances and he enjoyed an epic six-game streak from Jan. 20-Feb. 1 in which he averaged 48.8 points and made 49 of 86 3-point attempts.
He set franchise records of 61 points and 11 treys in a 129-124 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 20.
