The No. 1 and No. 3 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft will face off tonight as Scoot Henderson's Portland Trail Blazers host Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs. Or will they?
Portland plays San Antonio on back-to-back nights at Moda Center, and Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich has already revealed Wembanyama won't play both games. What about Portland starters Shaedon Sharpe and Deandre Ayton, who missed the team's best game of the season, a 130-113 win over the Sacramento Kings just two nights ago on Dec. 26?
Will Shaedon Sharpe, Deandre Ayton play for the Blazers tonight?
Portland Head Coach Chauncey Billups will once again be without two of his key starters in Sharpe and Ayton tonight against San Antonio.
That likely means Billups will roll with the same starting five as he did in the Blazers' rout of the Kings that featured Malcolm Brogdon and Anfernee Simons in the backcourt along with Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant and Moses Brown.
It was Portland's bench that led the way in the win against the Kings, so expect to see a lot of Scoot Henderson, Jabari Walker, Matisse Thybulle and Duop Reath.
Will Victor Wembanyama play for the San Antonio Spurs tonight?
Wembanyama's night off will be tomorrow as he's expected to be in Popovich's lineup tonight.
Full injury report for Spurs at Blazers
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Portland Trail Blazers
Out: Shaedon Sharpe (thigh); Deandre Ayton (knee); Robert Williams III (knee)
San Antonio Spurs
Out: Charles Bassey (knee); Devonta Graham (illness)