Blazers Injury Report: Multiple Stars Sidelined For Jazz Matchup

Both sides are missing big pieces.

Nov 22, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Two of the Western Conference's worst teams will be matching up in a Friday night tilt, when the 8-14 Portland Trail Blazers, the West's No. 13 seed, host the 4-17 Utah Jazz, the West's No. 15 seed, at the Moda Center. Both sides will be missing big pieces, which could make betting on tonight's spread a dicey gamble in applicable markets.

Per the NBA's latest injury report, backup centers Donovan Clingan (left knee sprain) and Robert Williams III (concussion protocol) remain shelved. The 20-year-old Clingan was selected by the Trail Blazers with the No. 7 overall pick in the lottery of the 2024 NBA Draft this past summer, following a pair of NCAA championship seasons with Dan Hurley's University of Connecticut Huskies. The 7-foot-2 big man has been impressive defensively, but predictably raw and limited as a scorer. He's averaging 5.8 points on 52.6 percent shooting from the floor and 72.7 percent shooting from the foul line, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in just 17.0 minutes a night. That translates to 4.6 blocks on a per-36 minute basis.

Two-time All-Defensive Team reserve shooting guard/small forward Matisse Thybulle has yet to make his season debut as he continues to recover from a right ankle sprain.

Thybulle, 27, is on the second season of a three-year, $33.1 million he inked with Portland. He's making $11 million this year, and has an $11.6 million player option for 2025-26. He would be an ideal trade chip for Portland if he could ever stay healthy. The 6-foot-5 swingman incurred a Grade 2 right ankle sprain in November, and is set to miss another one-to-four weeks of action. He was largely healthy for the Trail Blazers last year, appearing in 65 games (19 starts). In 22.9 minutes per bout, Thybulle averaged 5.4 points on .397/.346/.759 shooting splits, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.4 assists and 0.8 blocks a night.

Trail Blazers sixth man point guard Scoot Henderson, meanwhile, is merely questionable to play through a left quad contusion.

On the Utah side, shooting guard Jordan Clarkson (left foot plantar fasciitis) and power forward Taylor Hendricks (right fibula fracture) are both on the shelf. Kyle Filipowski, Cody Williams, and two-way players David Jones Garcia and Oscar Tshiebwe are all on assignment with Utah's G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. Jazz point guard Collin Sexton, who had been grappling with a left fourth finger dip avulsion fracture, has been cleared to play.

The action tips off at 7 p.m. PT.

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This story will be updated...