LaMarcus Aldridge (thumb) to postpone surgery, play on Saturday
Portland Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge has decided to put off surgery after tearing a ligament in his left thumb, the team announced on Saturday.
The three-time All-Star power forward was expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks.
According to a report from Yahoo Sports, Aldridge told the team that he wanted to play in Saturday's game against the Washington Wizards in Portland after testing the thumb in a splint.
From the report:
The are no assurances of how effectively, or how long, Aldridge can play with the injury, but there’s belief in the Portland organization that the long-term risk of this decision is minimal. Aldridge would’ve been required to wear a splint even after returning from surgery, sources told Yahoo Sports, so allowing him to try playing now isn’t believed to hold significantly more consequences.
Aldridge suffered the injury during the first quarter of Monday's win over the Kings. He sat out Wednesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns and Thursday's loss to the Boston Celtics.
Over 38 games this season, Aldridge has posted team-high per-game averages in points (23.2) and rebounds (10.2). The 29-year-old will enter unrestricted free agency this summer.
Portland (31-13) currently sits in third place in the Western Conference.
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