Trail Blazers Searching for Stability as Injuries, Close Losses Stall Momentum
Just when it felt like the Portland Trail Blazers were starting to find their footing, the season’s momentum has slipped-again.
After stringing together three straight wins and nudging their way into the Western Conference play-in picture, the Blazers have now dropped two straight at home. That skid drops them to 12-18, clinging to the No. 10 spot in the West. It's a frustrating turn for a team that came into the year with real hopes of building on last season’s strong second-half surge.
But instead of continuity, Portland has been caught in a cycle of disruption. Injuries have hit hard.
Lineups have shuffled. And the margins-those final few possessions that so often decide NBA games-just haven’t gone their way.
The numbers tell the story: the Blazers have now lost 11 games classified as “clutch”-games within five points in the final five minutes. That’s tied for the second-most in the league.
Tuesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic was just the latest chapter in that recurring script. The effort is there.
The execution, especially in crunch time, is not.
And the cavalry isn’t arriving anytime soon. There’s no clear timetable for the return of Jrue Holiday (calf), Matisse Thybulle (thumb), or rookie Scoot Henderson (hamstring). That trio brings a mix of veteran poise, defensive tenacity, and youthful explosiveness-exactly the kind of ingredients Portland could use right now, especially in those tight end-of-game situations.
Still, inside the locker room, the message from interim head coach Tiago Splitter remains steady: stay together, stay committed, and keep believing.
“We have a great group of guys,” said forward Deni Avdija. “They’re very strong mentally.
Our team camaraderie is really good. Our chemistry is amazing.
It’s one of the best chemistry teams that I’ve been on in a while. We just continue to fight.
We’re not going to back off. This is our identity.
We believe in each other and we believe in ourselves as a team.”
That belief is more than just locker room talk-it’s been evident in the way the Blazers have competed, even when undermanned. But belief alone doesn’t show up in the win column. That’s going to take cleaner execution in the final minutes, more consistency on both ends, and, ideally, a healthier roster.
For now, Portland remains a team that’s tough, together, and still fighting. Whether that fight turns into a turnaround-or just more frustration-will depend on how they weather the next stretch of this rollercoaster season.