PORTLAND, Ore. — Blazers fans won’t get a chance to spew venom Monday at Knicks point guard Raymond Felton.
Felton, who has become Portland’s No. 1 sports villain, said it would take “a miracle’’ for him to return against the Blazers. Felton, who is expected to miss a fourth straight game nursing a pinched nerve in his hip that developed because of a prior hamstring strain, hopes to return against the Clippers on Wednesday, but said that could be “wishful thinking.’’
In his first return to Portland last season, Felton got booed loudly all night, fans not letting him forget about his miserable lockout-shortened 2011-12 season in the Rose City. Felton fanned the flames in early September when he mocked the Blazers for not making the playoffs after his departure while the Knicks were second seed in 2012-13. The next day, the official Blazers Twitter account put up a picture of Felton in an angry mask with the caption: “Ray, why so serious.”
“You always want in those games to go out and perform well,’’ Felton said. “I would love to play this game. I got to take care of myself and my body. I’m not worried about Portland.’’