Subscribe
Follow Us
Not much was known about the extent of Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter's injury after he suffered a separated left shoulder in Game 5 of Portland's first-round series victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Although Kanter had a few additional days to rest the shoulder with the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs battling to a Game 7, his status never really seemed to upgrade or downgrade from “questionable.” Kanter had played through the injury in Game 5, but how had he dealt with the fallout?
Not only did Kanter play in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, but he was also the Trail Blazers' second-leading scorer.
Denver head coach Michael Malone was among those who were surprised by Kanter's active status for the series opener, in addition to his effectiveness.
Michael Malone said that by reading all the articles before Game 1 on Enes Kanter, "I didn't think he would be able to play. What a shocker." Malone said Kanter hurt the Nuggets by scoring 16 points off rolls on pick and rolls. https://t.co/YmIOGzU0kd
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 1, 2019
Despite 26 points and seven rebounds from Kanter, the Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 121-113 to seize early control of the series.
Kanter may have provided an additional boost to Portland's offense, but he could not stop Denver center Nikola Jokic, who torched the Trail Blazers for 37 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Kanter would finish the game with a plus-minus of -10, while Jokic was +16 for the contest.
Still, Kanter's provides a massive lift to a Portland team that lacks scoring in the frontcourt. Especially given the loss of breakout center Jusuf Nurkic, the Trail Blazers need Kanter as a presence in the paint as much as anything else.
His size and agility offer a challenge for the slower and bulkier Jokic, and the matchup between the two centers should continue to be a focal part of the series moving forward.
