Trail Blazers breakout star forward Deni Avdija won’t play tonight against Golden State. He’s sidelined with lower back soreness, the team’s PR department tweets. Avdija is averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season. Avdija has appeared in all 40 of Portland’s previous games.
Another key player, forward Jerami Grant, is doubtful due to left Achilles tendonitis.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards won’t suit up tonight against Milwaukee due to right foot injury maintenance, the team’s PR department tweets. This will be the eighth game Edwards has missed this season — he’ll be ineligible for postseason awards if he misses 10 more games. Center Rudy Gobert will also miss the game — he’s serving a one-game league suspension for accumulating too many flagrant fouls.
- Regarding Gobert’s suspension, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports that the one-game ban will cost Gobert $201,149 (Twitter link). The Timberwolves will also receive a tax variance credit of $100,575.
- Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is making progress from his left foot abductor hallucis strain but there’s no timetable for his return, according to a team press release. Shannon will miss his 10th straight game this evening. He’s appeared in 22 games off the bench this season but the 2024 first-round pick has only averaged 4.5 points in 12.8 minutes per game.
- Nuggets guard Christian Braun will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle sprain. Braun warmed up to play against Milwaukee on Sunday but didn’t feel right and was ruled out, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. It’s a concerning development, considering Braun missed nearly two months of action with an ankle injury before returning earlier this month.
- The Thunder’s Luguentz Dort is a late scratch for tonight’s key matchup with San Antonio due to left foot soreness, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman tweets.