The Portland Trail Blazers host the Charlotte Hornets at Moda Center on Wednesday, coming into this one off the back of a win against the Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, the Hornets have lost two games on the bounce and will be looking for a change in momentum.
Portland’s Deni Avdija made a highly anticipated return from injury in the win over Indiana, and has been suffering from a lower back strain for nearly two months. Avdija had missed six straight games after his last appearance on February 23 against the Phoenix Suns and has had multiple spells on the sidelines this season.
However, in what comes as a major boost to the Trail Blazers, Avdija is not a part of the official injury report for the matchup against Charlotte. Instead, Shaedon Sharpe is the only confirmed absence due to injury in addition to Damian Lillard. For Charlotte, Coby White, Tidjane Salaun and Liam McNeeley are the confirmed absences.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*
Deni Avdija injury status vs. Hornets
Deni Avdija’s latest performance suggests the Blazers may finally be seeing their All-Star forward return to full strength at the most important point of the season. After missing six games with a lingering lower back strain, Avdija returned to action against the Indiana Pacers and immediately made an impact, finishing with 18 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes during Portland’s 131–111 victory.
The 6-foot-9 forward looked close to his best and can be expected to once again slot into the starting lineup. This season, Avdija has averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists while also leading the NBA in minutes played at 1,414. At one point, he ranked among the top five players in the league in both total points and assists and will be looking to regain his momentum quickly.
The injury itself dates back to Jan. 11, when Avdija tweaked his back late in a loss to the New York Knicks. Since then, he has missed 16 of the last 24 games. The attempted return on February 22 against Phoenix lasted only 59 seconds before he aggravated the issue again.
Blazers injury report
Damian Lillard — Out (left Achilles tendon injury management)
Shaedon Sharpe — Out (left fibula stress injury)
Jayson Kent — Questionable (G League two-way)
Caleb Love — Questionable (G League two-way)
Chris Youngblood — Questionable (G League two-way)
Hornets injury report
PJ Hall — Out (G League two-way)
Liam McNeeley — Out (left ankle sprain)
Antonio Reeves — Out (G League two-way)
Tidjane Salaun — Out (left calf strain)
Coby White — Out (left calf injury management)
