NBA Injury Report Week 19 (24th Feb): Kyrie Irving out for the season, Karl-Anthony Towns not ready for return and more
With just a third of the season left to play, teams around the league are running out of time to achieve their targets for the campaign, and there will be a frantic dash for the postseason over the next two months. Due to the relentless schedule, several teams are dealing with notable injury absences - and here we will take a look at the latest NBA injury report as we head into Week 19 of the season.
#1 Kyrie Irving - Shoulder - Out for the season
Kyrie Irving has played just 20 times this season due to injuries, and Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson has announced that the 27-year-old's debut season with the Nets is over after reaggravating his shoulder injury. The Nets are yet to set a return date for Irving, although they will be hoping that he will be back for the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
#2 Klay Thompson - Knee - Out for the season
Klay Thompson has not played since suffering a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. There has been some speculation that the 30-year-old could return for the final weeks of the season, although Thompson was re-evaluated by the Warriors over the All-Star break - and the team has confirmed that he will miss the entire campaign.
#3 Damian Lillard - Groin - Could return this week
Damian Lillard sat out of All-Star Weekend after injuring his right groin during Portland's defeat against the Grizzlies on Feb. 12. Lillard has subsequently missed Portland's games against the Pelicans and Pistons, although the 29-year-old could return later this week.