With home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs a long shot, the Trail Blazers aren't going to risk anything.

The Blazers announced on Friday evening power forward LaMarcus Aldridge will sit out Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz with a left foot sprain. It's unclear when Aldridge suffered the injury, but it's likely the team is just holding him out to rest and avoid further injury.

Aldridge has been playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb since late January and did not travel with the team for Monday's game in Brooklyn to rest his ailing hand.

He played 34:31 and scored 27 points against the Warriors on Friday.

Portland is a locked into the fourth seed thanks to winning the Northwest Division, but has a very slim chance of hosting a first round playoff series. The Blazers (51-28) are two games behind the Clippers and Spurs and 2.5 games behind the Grizzlies and Rockets with three games remaining in the regular season.

With little chance of snagging home court advantage the Blazers are putting an emphasis on getting the roster as healthy as possible for the postseason, which begins next weekend.

Even with Aldridge, the Blazers were going to be shorthanded against Utah. Arron Afflalo is out one two weeks with a sprained right shoulder, Dorell Wright is still working his way back from a left hand fracture and Wesley Matthews is done for the year with a torn left Achilles tendon.

Meyers Leonard and Joel Freeland should see more action with Aldridge out.

-- Mike Richman

mrichman@oregonian.com | 503-221-8162 | @mikegrich