The Portland Trail Blazers could regain two key wings Friday night in Denver. Interim head coach Tiago Splitter said Matisse Thybulle and Kris Murray both completed full practices on Wednesday and Thursday in Tualatin and are listed as questionable for the matchup with the Nuggets.
“They’ve had two intense days here,” Splitter told reporters Thursday. “We’ll see how they feel tomorrow.”
Thybulle working past multiple setbacks
Thybulle, 28, has appeared in just four games this season after thumb surgery on Oct. 31 and a subsequent bout with right knee tendinopathy. The two-time All-Defensive guard/forward was limited to 15 games last season because of knee and ankle issues. His improved health makes a buyout scenario increasingly unlikely.
Murray eyeing first action since early January
Murray, now in his third NBA season, has missed Portland’s last 19 contests with a lumbar strain and has not played since Jan. 5. His return would lessen the club’s reliance on two-way players Sidy Cissoko—already at his 50-game limit—and Caleb Love, who has five games of eligibility remaining.
Sharpe still out
Starting shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, the team’s second-leading scorer, is out indefinitely with a left calf strain suffered on Feb. 6. He skipped both practices this week, and Splitter said the club is “still evaluating” his timetable.
Portland visits Denver on Friday night with its healthiest roster in months—aside from Sharpe—while aiming to snap a four-game skid that began before the All-Star break.
Source: Hoops Rumors
