Blazers News: Scoot Henderson Exits Thunder Game with Concerning Injury

Portland can ill afford to lose more guard depth right now.

Nov 20, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) moves the ball around Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

During a surprisingly close 109-99 defeat against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson departed the matchup with a left quadriceps contusion, the team announced via its official X account.

It's unclear just how much time Henderson will miss, if any. He has started Portland's last two games at the point. In the Thunder matchup, Henderson finished with nine points on 3-of-8 shooting from the floor (1-of-4 from long range) and 2-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe, eight assists, and three rebounds across 26:45 of action.

Starting shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe led all Portland scorers with 21 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor (4-of-8 from deep) and 5-of-6 shooting from the foul line, four rebounds, and two assists (against six turnovers).

For Oklahoma City, 6-foot-5 forward Jalen Williams — starting at center with Chet Holmgren hurt and Isaiah Hartenstein playing his first game of the year — led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor (5-of-9 from beyond the arc) and 3-of-3 shooting from the charity stripe. He also notched eight dishes, seven rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.

The Trail Blazers struggled with ball control, allowing the Thunder to score 28 points off their 24 turnovers.

Portland can ill afford to lose more guard depth long-term right now. The team is still without normal starting point guard Anfernee Simons. The 6-foot-3 vet has been shelved since incurring a chest injury just five minutes into Portland's 122-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 12.

The supposedly tanking Trail Blazers have posted a semi-respectable 6-9 record on the year. In the Eastern Conference, that would rank them among a cadre of play-in contenders. But in the far more talented West, Portland is still on track to finish in the lottery. The Trail Blazers currently occupy their conference's No. 13 seed.

Henderson submitted a disappointing 2023-24 rookie season after being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Portland head coach Chauncey Billups shifted him to a reserve role to start the 2024-25 season, but he was pressed into service in the absence of Simons. In his 14 healthy bouts so far (two starts), the G League Ignite alum averaged 11.5 points on a .408/.286/.806 slash line, 5.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 25.9 minutes a night.

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