The Portland Trail Blazers face the Indiana Pacers later in the week and there is a possibility that they may get one of their key players back. Deni Avdija has been out since February 24 as he is dealing with a lower back injury and the Trail Blazers have lost their impact on the field.
They've also dealt with other injuries on the roster, but none more damaging than Avdija's absence. There are hopes he will return soon, but the latest update shows optimism about his return, which is good news for a team trying to stay in the Western Conference play-in race.
Here's Avdija's status before facing the Pacers.
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Deni Avdija's injury status vs. Pacers
Avdija is listed as doubtful against the Pacers, meaning he has a chance to return after a six-match absence. The last time the Trail Blazers saw Avdija was when they were playing the Phoenix Suns, but he played only a minute before re-injuring his lower back.
After the game, acting head coach Tiago Splitter spoke about Avdija's condition in that game.
“Denny, like I said, he was questionable, he was feeling good before the game,” Splitter said. "His back just...felt it again, we lost him and it's not easy. The team had to figure it out offensively, but I think defensively, everyone stepped up and did an amazing job."
Splitter was asked if there was a possibility the Trail Blazers would consider ruling him out for the season due to a serious back injury.
When asked about the possibility of shutting down Deni Avdija, Splitter responded, "Well, I'm not a doctor, but yes." "I might have to look at what's going on and dig deeper to see what's really going on."
It seems they have no plans to do so, especially since he is listed as a suspect.
