Damian Lillard plans to play Game 3 despite dislocated finger

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard dislocated his left index finger in Thursday night’s loss to the Lakers, but he insists he’ll be ready when the series resumes Saturday, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

“Oh, I’m playing,” Lillard said after the game. “It’s just sore. A little bit tender to the touch.”

The injury occurred in the third quarter when Lillard tried to slap the ball away from Anthony Davis, who was driving to the basket. He was taken out of the game, which L.A. was leading handily at the time, and didn’t return. X-rays showed there was no break.

Lillard told reporters this is the first time he has dislocated a finger, and he tried to pull it back into place before receiving medical attention.

“[The staff] had to put it back for me, and at that point, I thought it was broken,” Lillard said. “I was just frustrated because I had to go back and get it looked at. I was just frustrated. It was just bad timing. I handle the ball a lot, so just knowing there’s going to be some discomfort, I don’t know how that’s going to feel or how that’s going to go. It’s frustrating. That’s all it was.”

Lillard has been spectacular since arriving at the Disney World complex, helping the Blazers rise out of a pack of contenders to claim the eighth seed in the West. He has averaged 36.6 PPG in Orlando and was a unanimous choice for MVP of the seeding games.