NBA Injury Report Week 18 (18th Feb): Damian Lillard out with groin injury, DeMarcus Cousins could return for the playoffs and more

With All-Star Weekend in the books, the 2019-20 regular season is now heading towards an exciting conclusion. With a third of the season left to play, there are still playoff spots up for grabs in both conferences and several teams are jostling to secure homecourt advantage for the playoffs.

Many teams are missing important players due to injuries, and here we will take a look at the latest injury report heading into Week 18 of the 2019-20 NBA season.

#1 Damian Lillard - Groin - Out for up to 10 days

Damian Lillard has been among the NBA's most impressive players this season

Damian Lillard missed the All-Star Game in Chicago after picking up a groin injury during Portland's loss to Memphis last Wednesday. An MRI scan confirmed that Lillard has suffered a groin strain, and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the point guard could miss the next 10 days.

#2 DeMarcus Cousins - Knee - Could return for the playoffs

DeMarcus Cousins has not played since the 2019 NBA Finals

DeMarcus Cousins has yet to make his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers after suffering a torn ACL last summer. Nevertheless, the former All-Star has increased his on-court activities over the past month, and head coach Frank Vogel believes that the 29-year-old could feature during the postseason.

#3 Deandre Ayton - Ankle - Questionable for Friday

Deandre Ayton missed the Rising Stars Game due to a right ankle injury

Deandre Ayton didn't feature in the Rising Stars Game after missing Phoenix's last two contests due to left ankle soreness. The Suns have yet to offer an update on Ayton's condition, and while his injury isn't believed to be serious, he remains a doubt for Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors.

#4 Kyrie Irving - Knee - Doubtful to return this week

Kyrie Irving has missed five games due to a knee injury

Kyrie Irving picked up a knee injury against the Washington Wizards back on Feb. 1st, and it was later confirmed that the point guard had suffered a medial ligament sprain. Irving has missed Brooklyn's past five games with the injury, and the New York Post is reporting that the 27-year-old isn't guaranteed to return this week.

#5 Tyler Herro - Foot - Making progress but no return date set

Tyler Herro has been among the most impressive rookies of the season

Tyler Herro has not played since Feb. 3 after picking up a foot injury. The Miami Heat have yet to set a return date for the shooting guard - although Herro told the media that he is ahead of schedule and is aiming to return for Miami's playoff push.

#6 Paul George - Hamstring - Unlikely to feature this week

Paul George has struggled with injury throughout his first season in Los Angeles

Paul George has struggled with injuries throughout the season, and the 29-year-old suffered another setback last Thursday after injuring his hamstring against the Boston Celtics. The Clippers have yet to provide an update on George's status, and it is doubtful that he will feature this week due to his previous history of hamstring problems.

#7 Kris Dunn - Knee - Could miss the remainder of the season

Kris Dunn could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury

Kris Dunn has been out since Jan. 31 following a collision with Thaddeus Young. The Chicago Bulls initially reported that Dunn would be re-examined after two weeks, although NBC Sports is reporting that the 25-year-old could now miss the remainder of the season.

#8 Wendell Carter Jr. - Ankle - Could return this week

Wendell Carter Jr. could finally return for the Bulls this week

Wendell Carter Jr. has not played since Jan. 6 due to an ankle sprain. However, while the injury was enough to keep him out of the All-Star Weekend, Carter has revealed that he is close to a return, and could feature this week.

#9 Karl-Anthony Towns - Wrist - Questionable

Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable due to a wrist injury

Karl-Anthony Towns missed Minnesota's loss to the Hornets on Wednesday due to a left wrist injury. The 24-year-old underwent further evaluations during All-Star Weekend, but his status remains questionable for this week.