Aldridge out with ankle sprain, doubtful to return

Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge sprained his left ankle during the first quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Rose Garden.

Aldridge left the court with 5 minutes, 40 seconds left in the first quarter. He appeared to tweak his ankle while attempting to plant his feet and reach out for a ball.

Aldridge is averaging 16.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists through 32 games.

He scored seven points on 3-of-4 shooting before leaving the court Wednesday.

The Blazers have been forced to deal with and adjust to injury problems all season. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla are out with season-ending knee injuries, while Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw are recovering from injuries right now.

In a sign of just how badly the Blazers have been affected by hurt players, the NBA has granted the team two hardship exemptions. Portland used the second today, signing forward Shavlik Randolph.