The Portland Trail Blazers won their first three matchups against the Golden State Warriors this season. So how did they manage to get blown out 119-97 in their most recent contest? The answer lies solely in the absence of Deni Avdija, who missed his first game of the season due to lower back soreness.
Avdija suffered the injury in the final two minutes of Portland's loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday. While the severity of the injury remains to be seen, hopefully, it doesn't sideline him for too many additional games. As we saw in this loss, Portland can't afford to play without its rising star for an extended stretch if it wants any chance of ending its playoff drought.