It’s been pretty cold across the United States in recent days, with Portland being one of the places hit especially hard by January inclement weather. Portland has been dealing with a pretty nasty mix of sleet and below freezing temperatures, which has led to ice forming across the city.
This has ended up having an impact on the Portland Trail Blazers, which were anticipating getting Deandre Ayton back for Wednesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. Ayton had not played in a game since Dec. 23 due to a lingering knee issue, and after missing 11 straight games, he was apparently given the all clear to suit up.
There was just one problem: Because of the ice that is on the roads in Portland, Ayton quite literally could not make it to the arena despite the fact that the Blazers attempted to send a crew to get him. As such, his return to the team got delayed, as he was ruled out for the Nets game.
Ayton tried for hours to combat the sheet of ice leading out of his neighborhood and the team sent people out to help as well, but to no avail, so he is out for tonight’s game versus Brooklyn https://t.co/Oa0Rv3Wbms
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) January 18, 2024
INJURY REPORT 1/17 vs. BKN:
OUT:
– Deandre Ayton (Not With Team)
– Moses Brown (L Wrist Fracture)
– Robert Williams III (R Knee Ligament Tear)
– Shaedon Sharpe (Lower Abdominal Strain) pic.twitter.com/PYoEyVXF5F— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 18, 2024
Portland’s next game is at home on Friday evening against the Indiana Pacers. Here’s hoping that Ayton will be able to leave his place safely by then — and, of course, that the fine folks in Portland get a little bit of relief from the inclement weather and ice.
