The Portland Trail Blazers thought they’d be without their star forward LaMarcus Aldridge for the next 6-8 weeks after the big man suffered a finger injury earlier this week. The team said they weren’t going to make any panic moves to replace Aldridge in the lineup, perhaps because they knew the All-Star wasn’t planning to undergo the knife.
Opting to put surgery on hold, Aldridge will take the court and will play for the Blazers on Saturday night against the Washington Wizards.
BREAKING: LaMarcus Aldridge (ligament tear left thumb) puts surgery on hold; will play tonight versus Washington.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 24, 2015
The decision is a huge reversal for both Aldridge and the Blazers who just a day ago were under the impression that he would not be playing for the foreseeable future.
Why exactly there was a change is unknown, though it’s doubtful the Portland medical team would allow LaMarcus Aldridge back onto the court if there was any risk of further damage. At this point it appears to be a matter of pain tolerance, though it’s not known if Aldridge will still play in the NBA’s All-Star game or if he’ll take the time off. We’ll likely see how the situation plays out in the next week or so.
Talk about a surprising Saturday for the Blazers and their fans.
