:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65845702/1186801961.jpg.0.jpg)
Friday’s loss to the Lakers marked an unfortunate night for the Trail Blazers on several fronts. The blowout loss put the Blazers five games below .500, coach Terry Stotts was tagged with his first ejection as a NBA coach and Rodney Hood suffered what appears to be a season-ending injury.
With 3:27 remaining in the first quarter, Hood went to the ground following a non-contact play. He was carried off the court with the assistance of his teammates and a MRI later revealed that he tore his Achilles.
Following the 136-113 loss, the Blazers players shared their thoughts on Hood’s sudden departure.
Damian Lillard, the leader of the Blazers, explained to The Oregonian’s Jamie Goldberg that Hood’s strong start to the year made his injury even tougher to swallow.
“You hate to see one of your teammates go down to an injury like that, especially a starter and somebody who is really a good person,” Damian Lillard said. “He was having a great season, fitting in really well with our team, a big part of what we do. You feel for him personally more than anything.”
CJ McCollum echoed Lillard’s remarks following Friday’s outcome (via KGW’s Orlando Sanchez).
"It's heartbreaking, I know how hard he worked, the type of season he was having and what he means to our team" @CJMcCollum on @rodneyhood injury pic.twitter.com/sBjYm2LER0
— Orlando Sanchez (@orlandokgw) December 7, 2019
Those feelings weren’t reserved to just the players. Stotts described a similar feeling to Goldberg.
“I’m very sad, very disappointed for Rodney,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “He was having a good year for us. I hate for anybody to have an injury like that, that takes them out for the season. I feel for him.”
Through Hood’s first 20 games of the 2019-20 season, he was producing 11.5 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting from the field.