Trail Blazers Will be Without Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum Against Hawks
The Portland Trail Blazers will be down a few key players when they take on the Atlanta Hawks. Brad Rowland confirmed that starting guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are out on Monday night while starting center Jusuf Nurkic and his backup Cody Zeller are doubtful.
Per the official NBA portal, the Blazers will be without Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on Monday against the Hawks.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) January 3, 2022
Jusuf Nurkic and Cody Zeller are both listed as doubtful.
Lillard missed five games at the end of November and start of December with an abdomen injury. According to the official injury report, the veteran guard will be absent for injury management purposes relating to the injury. McCollum hasn't played since December 4 and is dealing with lung issues.
Nurkic and Zeller remain doubtful while in the league's health and safety protocols.
Anfernee Simons has started in place of Lillard at point guard this season, while Norman Powell should continue to fill in for McCollum at the two spot. Larry Nance is starting at center with Nurkic unavailable.
Those injuries are putting the Blazers at a deficit, and that's reflected in their betting odds. FanDuel Sportsbook has Portland listed as +3.5 underdogs against the 16-19 Hawks.
