Your Portland Trail Blazers have been beset by major injuries late into what is looking like yet another (intentionally, this time) lost season in 2023-24.
Now, the team's starting center could also be on the shelf for a bit.
Center Deandre Ayton notched a 12-point (on 6-of-9 shooting), 10-rebound double-double during the club's ill-fated loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday in just under 19 minutes, in part because, though he tried to play through, he hurt his hand while jockeying for position inside against Heat reserve power forward/center Kevin Love. He tried valiantly to play through it for a while, but ultimately left early.
“X-rays were negative. I think there will be some further testing because he was in quite a bit of pain,” Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said, per Erik Garcia Gundersen of NBA.com/The Associated Press. “I thought (Ayton) dominated that first half. Offensively, defensively, he dominated the game.”
Per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report, Billups revealed that X-ray imaging on the hand were negative. Highkin reported the next day that further examination from Portland's medical staff indicated that he has sprained his right hand, and his status is officially day-to-day from here on out.
Next up for the Trail Blazers is a matchup against another Western Conference lottery club, the Memphis Grizzlies, scheduled for 5 p.m. PT Friday. That team is also missing several centers, so even without Ayton healthy Portland might actually be able to end this miserable nine-game losing streak.
More must-reads: