Trail Blazers news: Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant out vs. Kings

Already without injured guard Anfernee Simons and center Jusuf Nurkic, the Portland Trail Blazers will be down two more starters against the Sacramento Kings as Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant (rest) will also miss the team’s first game back after the all-star break.

Damian Lillard, Jerami Grant will miss Trail Blazers game in Sacramento

Portland also had trouble getting out of Oregon and making the trip down to California due to weather. Whether (no pun intended) Lillard and Grant’s rest day has anything to do with that is unclear.

The Trail Blazers will be missing four-fifths of their starting lineup against the Kings. The remaining spot has been filled by Matisse Thybulle or Cam Reddish since Josh Hart was dealt to the New York Knicks at the trade deadline.

Reddish has played three total games with the Blazers. Thybulle has played two.

They could be joined by Shaedon Sharpe and some combination of Drew Eubanks, Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson, and Ryan Arcidiacono, unless head coach Chauncey Billups wants to experiment (even more) with his four best players on the bench.

Portland is two games under .500 but just a half-game back of 10th place and a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

The Kings, meanwhile, have been near the top of the West all season. Sacramento is currently third in the conference standings, one game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers.