Robert Williams and Deandre Ayton Set to Miss Blazers Matchup vs Jazz

Gabe Smallson | Feb 23, 2025

Feb 20, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35) grabs a rebound during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers received some unfortunate news ahead of their contest with the Utah Jazz on Monday.

Per the official PR account of the Trail Blazers, Robert Williams III and Deandre Ayton will not be active during their road game in Utah.

INJURY REPORT 2/24 @ UTA:

OUT
Deandre Ayton (L Calf Strain)
Matisse Thybulle (R Ankle Sprain)
Robert Williams III (L Knee Soreness)

— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) February 23, 2025

With the way things have been in Portland, they will need all the help they can get as the final Play-In Tournament spot is no longer a distant dream. 

Portland currently sits at 24-33, which is good for the No. 13 seed in such a packed Western Conference as they have the same number of wins as the San Antonio Spurs, who are holders of the No. 12 seed. 

With 25 more games to go, there is almost no room for error down the stretch.

Starting the 2024-25 campaign labeled as a rebuilding team, quite the opposite has gone down this season. 

At one point, Portland was the hottest team in the NBA winning 10 of their last 11 games before a three-game losing streak before the All-Star break. 

Ayton has been out since Feb. 10 with a left calf strain and has yet to be re-evaluated. In his 40 appearances this season, he is having his worst scoring average since the 2020-21 season putting up 14.4 per game, but is averaging his highest block total since the 2021-22 campaign.

As for Williams, he missed the latest Trail Blazers blowout as they thrashed the Charlotte Hornets 141-88, the largest victory in franchise history. 

In only 20 appearances for the oft-injured big man this season, Williams is averaging 5.8 points, 1.7 blocks, and 5.9 rebounds. He is scoring his lowest average since the 2019-20 season but similar to Ayton, is blocking his most shots per game since the 2021-22 season. 

Coming off a blowout victory and facing a 14-win team right after can be exciting, but the Jazz are known for the big men down low. 

Seven-footer Lauri Markkanen leads their team in scoring with 19.3 points per game as fellow seven-footer Walker Kessler leads Utah in rebounds averaging 12.1 per contest. 

Portland will have their work cut out for them on Monday as the margin for error is razor-thin down the stretch. 

More Trail Blazers news:

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For the latest Portland Trail Blazers news and notes, stay glued to Portland Trail Blazers On SI.