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Blazers' Batum targeting Friday return

Jaime Valdez / USA Today Sports

Portland Trail Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum has gone through each of his team's last two practices without any limitations and shed the brace he was wearing to protect his right knee.

The next step is for Batum to return to game action after missing the last four contests with a knee contusion.

Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said Batum had a good practice Thursday, and a day earlier Batum was confident he'd return for Friday's clash against the Chicago Bulls.

"I just get some rest and make sure my knee is 100 percent before I go back," Batum said, according to Casey Holdahl of NBA.com. "I feel good today, I feel good. One more practice (Thursday) and I should be fine for Friday night."

Batum told reporters Thursday that he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection (PRP) shortly after injuring the knee to help with the healing.

"The first two days kind of hurt because they inject new blood, process it a little bit," Batum said. "But after that you feel like you can recover way quicker than normal time."

Batum struggled offensively over seven games before going down with the injury. The 25-year-old swingman is averaging 9.0 points on a career-low 36.7 percent shooting from the field, but has chipped in with 7.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists over 33.6 minutes of action. 

Allen Crabbe has started at small forward in place of Batum for Portland's last four games.

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