On Friday night, the 2-1 Portland Trail Blazers look to close out their preseason with a winning record, hosting the 4-1 Utah Jazz at the Moda Center.
How to Watch
The action tips off at the Moda Center, and can be watched via League Pass for non-locals and listened to via Rip City Radio 620 and KSL 97.5 FM. Portland fans based in town can tune in via the brand-new Rip City Television Network, a collective of affiliate networks including satellite-accessible stations KATU and KUNP, plus a direct-to-consumer subscription service, BlazerVision.
Odds
The Jazz opened as -3 favorites, per sportsbook aggregator The Action Network, but the Blazers are now -1.5 favorites to take the home W.
Injury Report
Starting small forward Jerami Grant (rest), starting point guard Anfernee Simons (ankle), All-Defensive swingman Matisse Thybulle (knee) and forward Jabari Walker (right ankle soreness) each sat out Wednesday’s 111-100 win over German club Ratiopharm Ulm. According to ESPN’s latest NBA Injury Status report, all four are day-to-day, with each projected to return Friday.
Injury-prone backup center Robert Williams III – who played only six games last season – is already injured as he works his way back from a lingering hamstring problem that has kept him out throughout Portland’s preseason. Starting shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe remains out while recovering from a shoulder injury, and isn’t expected to return until at least the beginning of November. He has taken part in pregame shootarounds.
Rookie Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier has been ruled out due to a strained right hamstring. The 6-foot-3 hyper-athlete was projected to be a lottery pick ahead of his one-and-done NCAA season with the USC Trojans. Due to the team’s underwhelming play and questions about Collier’s offense, however, he managed to sink to the No. 29 pick. Did Utah snag a steal late in the first round? Time will tell.
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Second-year point guard Scoot Henderson, who’d been relegated to a bench role before Sharpe got hurt has been on something of a tear this preseason, averaging 17.7 points on .442/.250/.706 shooting splits, 5.3 assists – against 2.7 turnovers – 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals a night. He recorded 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 shooting from the foul line against Ratiopharm Ulm, including a game-high +21 plus-minus. Expect him to finish his preseason in style against the Jazz guards.
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