Update: Blazers F LaMarcus Aldridge (Back) Could Miss Two More Games

Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge had to be helped off the court after taking a hard fall during the third quarter of a 103-90 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. He sustained a lower back contusion on the play.

Update (Monday): Erik Gundersen of The Columbian reports on Twitter that Blazers coach Terry Stotts said Monday that Aldridge will miss Tuesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks and will be "doubtful" for Thursday night's game against the Washington Wizards. Aldridge has missed Portland's last two games.

Update (Friday): Aldridge addressed the injury with reporters on Friday.

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports this quote...

"I'm just relieved that it's just a bruise and not a broken tailbone or something," Aldridge said. "It could have been a lot worse. When I was in the air, I didn't know what to expect. When I hit the ground, I was in so much pain that all I could think about was the pain and if it was something serious. To get the MRI back was a relief."

Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports these quotes (among others)...

Q: How about now? Feeling better?

A: "I'm better than I was. I'm not back to normal. I'm still on crutches. But it's just because the area was so traumatized that it's taking time to get everything back active and moving good. But I'm definitely better than I was. I couldn't even sit down my first day, my first night, I couldn't sit like this (he was sitting on the scorer's table). So this is improvement."

...

Q: What were your emotions when it all was going on? Were you concerned?

A: "I was mad at first because I felt like it wasn't a good play to make by (Aron Baynes). Because the ball was gone and I had scored, so I was kind of mad that he even slid in there. It couldn't have been a charge. So I was kind of mad at the way the whole thing happened. And then I was also mad because I had energy, and I felt like I was fixing to try to take over the game and be better than I was. So I was just kind of mad that it happened at that time, when I started to feel better. And then I was just concerned, because there was so much pain than I had ever felt before. And it wasn't going away. So I was just freaking out."

Here's video of the fall, which took place less than a minute into the second half. On the play, Aldridge turned into the paint to shoot from just outside the protected circle and Spurs center Aron Baynes slid underneath him in an attempt to take a charge. Aldridge crashed into Baynes, lost his balance, and fell hard to the court, landing directly on his back.

Update (Thursday): The Blazers announced that an MRI has confirmed that Aldridge sustained a back contusion and that he is expected to miss Portland's next two games (Friday at the New Orleans Pelicans and Sunday vs. the Golden State Warriors) before he will be reevaluated.

The Blazers announced during the third quarter that Aldridge has suffered a back contusion and that he is done for the night. After the game, the team announced that X-rays on Aldridge's back were negative.

Aldridge did not address the media after the game.

CSNNW.com reported on Twitter that Aldridge was in a wheelchair after the game.

Bruce Ely of The Oregonian reports on Twitter: "This [tweet] would be a picture of LA after the game, but instead Blazers security asked for me to be thrown out of the building to avoid the image."

Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com reports...

"When a guy takes a a tough fall like that, when you're airborne, you just don't know what can happen you land," said Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts. "The longer he stayed down, you just don't know."

His full story is right here.

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports...

We don't know how Aldridge is feeling because he never left that small room adjacent to the locker room, where his clothes remained, folded neatly, his red headphones propped idly next to his jeans.

The only thing to gather from the situation was the mood inside that room, and the reaction of the people who came in, then out. It was far from grim. In fact, there were more smiles than anything.

His full story is right here.

Aldridge finished with 14 points (on 6-for-11 shooting) and four rebounds in 21 minutes against the Spurs.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter