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Portland Trail Blazers' Rodney Hood available for Game 1 against Warriors

By Connor Grott
Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood (L) suffered a bone bruise in his knee against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. He was originally listed as questionable. Photo by Steve Dipaola/EPA-EFE
Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood (L) suffered a bone bruise in his knee against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. He was originally listed as questionable. Photo by Steve Dipaola/EPA-EFE

May 14 (UPI) -- Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood was cleared to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors, the team announced Tuesday.

Hood was injured in the third quarter of the Trail Blazers' Game 7 win Sunday in Denver. He fell awkwardly after Nuggets swingman Torrey Craig set a back screen on him. The screen resulted in a bone bruise in Hood's left knee.

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"I'm solid," Hood told reporters. "There's still some soreness. It's just something that I'm going to have to manage and deal with it."

Hood didn't return to Portland's victory against the Nuggets. He underwent an MRI, which revealed the bone bruise.

The Trail Blazers acquired Hood in a midseason trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. He has played a crucial role in Portland's postseason run, averaging 14.7 points per game on 57.6 percent shooting off the bench against the Nuggets.

The Warriors host the Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena for Game 1. Game 2 is Thursday night.

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