The Portland Trail Blazers are set to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night in what shapes up to be a tightly contested Western Conference matchup - but both teams are heading in with more questions than answers, especially on the injury front.
For Portland, the status of two key contributors is still up in the air. Jrue Holiday is listed as questionable due to right calf injury management, while Deni Avdija is doubtful with a lower back strain.
Neither designation rules them out completely, but it certainly puts their availability in serious doubt. And for a Blazers squad looking to gain ground in a crowded playoff race, that’s not ideal.
Portland enters the night sitting at 20-22, good for ninth in the West. They’ve been grinding through a season marked by inconsistency, and injuries have been a big part of that story. In fact, the Blazers currently have nine players on their injury report - a number that underscores just how thin the margin for error has become.
The Lakers, meanwhile, aren’t exactly rolling in at full strength either. Luka Doncic has already been ruled out with left groin soreness, and they’ve got five players listed on their injury report. Despite that, L.A. comes in at 24-15 and holding the sixth spot in the West - a team that’s managed to stay afloat in the standings even as they navigate their own health concerns.
Saturday’s game has the makings of a battle between two teams trying to find rhythm in the middle of the season. For the Blazers, whether Holiday and Avdija can go will be a major factor.
Holiday brings veteran leadership and defensive tenacity, while Avdija offers versatility on both ends of the floor. If both are sidelined, Portland will need to dig deep into its depth chart to keep pace.
Injuries are always part of the equation in an 82-game grind, but this matchup could be especially defined by who’s available - and who’s not. As of now, the statuses of Holiday and Avdija remain uncertain, but one thing is clear: Portland’s path to a win gets a lot tougher if either can’t suit up.