The Portland Trail Blazers will host the Charlotte Hornets at the Moda Center tonight. The Trail Blazers are coming off a loss to the Denver Nuggets in the last game. The Damian Lillard-led franchise has won 17 out of the 33 games they have played in the 2022-23 NBA season. Dame still looks to be looking for his maiden NBA title and the Trail Blazers might be quite a bit distant from it.
As for the Charlotte Hornets, they have had their fair share of struggles as well. Michael Jordan has not been able to have a good season since taking over as the majority owner. He will surely be rooting for the Hornets to win in Portland tonight. With that said, let’s take a look at the injury reports and expected rosters for the teams playing tonight.
Gary Payton II’s injury woes continue for the Portland Trail Blazers against the Charlotte Hornets tonight
Dame has had some troubles with injuries this season. However, fortunately for Trail Blazers fans, their star player will be available for the Hornets clash tonight. However, they might miss a few important players who could make a difference against the Hornets. According to ESPN, Josh Hart might miss the game tonight because of a sprain in his left ankle.
INJURY REPORT 12/26 @trailblazers vs. CHA:
OUT
Little (R Femoral Head Impaction Fracture)
Payton II (Return to Competition Reconditioning)
Winslow (L Ankle Sprain)PROBABLE
Hart (L Ankle Sprain)
Nurkic (R Calf Soreness)— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) December 26, 2022
However, Hart is probable to feature tonight, along with Jusuf Nurkic, who experienced some soreness in his right calf. Gary Payton II’s injury woes continue as he’s still yet to make his debut for the Trail Blazers this season. The main reason for his long absence would be a core muscle injury he sustained in the offseason.
Portland Trail Blazers injury report
- Josh Hart (probable)
- Jusuf Nurkic (probable)
- Gary Payton II (out)
- Justise Winslow (out)
- Nassir Little (out)
Portland Trail Blazers expected roster
- Damian Lillard
- Josh Hart (probable)
- Anfernee Simons
- Jerami Grant
- Drew Eubanks
Charlotte Hornets injury report
- Nick Richards (questionable)
- Dennis Smith Jr. (out)
- Cody Martin (out)
Charlotte Hornets expected roster
- LaMelo Ball
- Terry Rozier
- Gordon Hayward
- PJ Washington
- Mason Plumlee
Can LaMelo Ball lead his side to a win against the Trail Blazers tonight?
As we all know, the Hornets are coming off a sensational win against the Los Angeles Lakers in the last game. They beat LeBron James’ side 134-130 in an extremely close game. We can be sure that they are in high spirits entering tonight’s clash as well. Against the Lakers, Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball, and PJ Washington came in clutch to help them get the win.
The last time they faced was in December 2021, the Trail Blazers took the win with Dame setting the court on fire. He put up 43 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. He will be aiming to repeat that once again tonight.
It looks like it will be a close game tonight, but the Trail Blazers may take the win with Dame and Anfernee Simons being a key part. For the Hornets to lock them out, they would have to shut these two players out and overcome Drew Eubanks.