Is LaMelo Ball playing tonight? Scoot Henderson? Hornets Blazers injury report 2/25
By Ben Handler
The road trip rolls on for the Charlotte Hornets Sunday night as they’ll be in Portland to take on the Trail Blazers. The Hornets will try to start a new streak as they saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Friday against the Warriors. They come into the game at 14-42, 13th place in the Eastern Conference.
The Blazers enter the game losers of seven straight and they’re narrowly better than the Hornets at 15-40, good for 14th in the Western Conference. Neither team is likely headed for the playoffs, but there is still a lot at stake on Sunday in the Moda Center.
The obvious headline is the race for the bottom, as these teams sit with the fourth and fifth worst records in the NBA currently. I outlined the potential ramifications for each team winning and losing this game earlier, but draft odds will be impacted dramatically by how each of these teams finish their seasons - and Sunday’s game will be a big part.
The other potential allure of this game was another one I outlined in an earlier blog, the first possible meeting of rookies, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. But sadly, injuries will derail a bit of the mystique in this one.
Blazers injury report
The injury report is a lengthy one for Portland as Malcolm Brogdon (elbow), Moses Brown (wrist), Rayan Rupert (ankle), Shaedon Sharpe (Abdominal), Robert Williams (Knee), and Scoot Henderson (Adductor) have all been ruled ‘Out’ for Sunday.
Henderson is the notable omission from the lineup, as we’ll be robbed of the Henderson vs. Miller matchup and potential rivalry. But in terms of on-court impact, the losses of Brogdon and Sharpe will be even more devastating.
Hornets injury report
Yet again, the Hornets will be without LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Mark Williams (back) on Sunday. We are still weeks away from an update on Williams and there is no news to speak about in regards to Ball. It’s an upsetting situation that gets more frustrating with each passing day.
Davis Bertans is listed as ‘Doubtful’ for a second straight game (knee); he missed Friday night’s game against Golden State with the same ailment and designation. And Seth Curry was a late addition to the report, as he will be ‘Out’ with hip soreness.
The Blazers are currently listed as 3.5-point favorites.