Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and Ibou Badi will be on the bench when the game tips at the Moda Centre tomorrow night.
Due to lumbar pain, Ryan Arcidiacono and Cam Reddish are both listed as doubtful. Trendon Watford is still doubtful due to a right ankle sprain, but his chances of playing are slightly higher.
For those who are keeping track, that means ten names are out for the game or are dubious.
The Blazers signed Skylar Mays to a 10-day deal today; other players who could be available are Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Nassir Little, Drew Eubanks, Kevin Knox II, Jabari Walker, John Butler Jr., and possibly more.
With a 32-44 record, the Blazers are now tied with the Orlando Magic for the fifth-worst record in the league, placing them 13th in the Western Conference.
If, on Monday night, your thoughts turned to Sam Bowie’s fractured leg, you may forgive yourself. the knee of Greg Oden. or the foot of Bill Walton. However, perhaps we ought to pause there for a while.
To grab a rebound in double overtime, Jusuf Nurkic leaped.
The Trail Blazers centre sustained terrible injuries as he went down, breaking both his fibula and tibia in his lower left leg. Play halted. At 2:22, the game clock stopped. And after watching Nurkic play this season, it became clear to everyone that something was seriously wrong when he didn’t get up.
It will be tempting to declare this NBA team cursed today. Over the years, it has sustained several injuries. But you ought not to.
Joel Pryzbilla and Damon Stoudamire did, in fact, tear their patellar tendons. And that the achilles tendon of Wesley Matthews came loose. Furthermore, that Moe Harkless is still attempting to avoid his own knee problems and that Darius Miles was eliminated due to them.
It’s also true that former coach Nate McMillan experienced an achilles rupture and had to use a walking boot for a while.
However, humans are actually the subject of our discussion here. By all accounts, the most of them were decent ones. It’s simple to overlook that when we’re preoccupied with wins, the Western Conference race, and the future of the team. In addition to enjoying a fantastic season, “Nurk,” who received a $48 million contract last summer, was reinventing himself.
However, as Enes Kanter, a teammate, stated to reporters, “This is way bigger than basketball.”
Speaking for the city was the new guy.
We were all reminded of how fleeting life is on a night when the Blazers won their 46th game and secured a postseason spot. And how much real teammates look out for one another. It’s not just basketball, either.
