Damian Lillard Out vs. Kings After Blazers' Plane Delayed by Snowstorm

The Portland Trail Blazers announced that point guard Damian Lillard and forward Jerami Grant will miss their team's Thursday evening game against the Sacramento Kings to rest.

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report provided context on the decision, which derived from Portland's second-snowiest day on record affecting the Blazers' travel plans to Sacramento.

"Trail Blazers arrived at airport on Wednesday around 2:45 pm to take off for Sacramento. Stayed on plane until approximately 10 pm and headed home. Due to weather/traffic, the commute home for some players was up to two hours. Returned to airport this morning at 9 am and didn't take off until 1:43 pm. This is why Portland is resting key players tonight in Sacramento."

It was a long day and night for the Blazers, who ended up being stuck on the plane for over seven hours. With a lot of time to kill, Lillard and the Blazers took the opportunity to freestyle.

The 28-30 Blazers enter the post-All-Star break portion of the schedule one half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Portland will be significantly shorthanded for Thursday's matchup against the No. 3-seeded Kings. Center Jusuf Nurkić (left calf strain), guard Anfernee Simons (right ankle sprain) and forward Justise Winslow (left ankle sprain) will also miss the Kings game.

Lillard and Grant should be on track to return for the team's next contest, a home matchup on Sunday against the Houston Rockets.

The storm has caused tragedies and concerns throughout Portland outside travel issues.

At least two people have died after medical personnel were unable to reach them in time due to the storm's impact. KATU staff relayed problems Portland is facing:

"Nearly a foot of snow fell across the Portland metro area Wednesday evening, bringing the city to a grinding halt and causing traffic backups for miles.

"Roads are still littered with stuck and abandoned cars, most schools have been canceled for the day, many public services are closed, and people are homebound with no chance of driving or taking public transit.

"The snow stopped by the late morning hours, with the temperature a below-freezing 28 degrees."

The 10.8 inches of snow that fell in Portland marked the most the city has seen since Jan. 21, 1943 (14.4 inches), per Jeff Forgeron of Good Day Oregon.