Hornets Vs Trail Blazers: Deni Avdija clears the injury report for Tuesday

Deni Avdija’s name is absent from Portland’s latest injury report ahead of hornets vs trail blazers, a small administrative detail that can carry real weight for a team trying to build continuity. Tuesday’s matchup at the Moda Center comes right after Avdija returned from a six-game absence and helped spark a 131-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

Hornets Vs Trail Blazers and Deni Avdija’s back injury update

Portland listed Avdija on the injury report heading into Sunday, when he was questionable because of a lingering back injury. He played anyway, and his return looked immediate on the stat line: 18 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes, while shooting 6-16 from the field in the win over Indiana.

Now, ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at Moda Center, Avdija is not listed at all. For Portland, that shift matters because it suggests a move from day-to-day uncertainty to a more stable expectation of availability—especially after the team just welcomed him back from that six-game stretch on the sideline.

Still, Portland’s injury report is not empty. As of publish time, the only two Trail Blazers listed as out for Tuesday’s contest are Shaedon Sharpe and Damian Lillard.

Moda Center sets the stage after Portland’s 131-111 win

Tuesday’s game is the continuation of a moment of momentum Portland hasn’t been able to hold consistently. The Trail Blazers opened a three-game homestand with the 131-111 win over the Pacers at Moda Center, then turned quickly to the Hornets, a team Portland has seen recently.

This will be the second meeting in 11 days between Portland and Charlotte. They played Feb. 28 in Charlotte, where the Hornets won 109-93. In that game, Brandon Miller had 26 points and eight rebounds, and Coby White added 20 points off the bench. The win landed in the middle of a six-game winning streak for Charlotte.

Since then, Charlotte has dropped its last two games, losing 128-120 to the Miami Heat and 111-99 to the Phoenix Suns. Tuesday’s contest is also the second stop on a four-game trip for the Hornets, who finish with visits to Sacramento and San Antonio. Charlotte is 18-16 on the road this season.

Jrue Holiday’s five-game stretch, and who will be missing Tuesday

Portland’s recent win over Indiana included another sign of life: Scoot Henderson finished with 28 points and six assists, snapping out of a two-week shooting slump in what was described as a lopsided result. Yet consistency has been difficult to stack. Portland has not won consecutive games since Feb. 9, when it defeated the Philadelphia 76ers at Moda for a third consecutive victory.

One reason Tuesday draws attention inside Portland’s lineup is the play of Jrue Holiday. Over the last five games, he is averaging 22. 6 points, 6. 0 assists and 4. 6 rebounds, while shooting 57% from the field, including 50% from three-point range. He has made 21 threes during that hot stretch, giving Portland another source of offense as it tries to string together wins.

Both teams, though, will arrive with absences that shape rotations and matchups. For Portland, Shaedon Sharpe (left calf strain/fibula injury) and Damian Lillard (left Achilles tendon) are out. Charlotte lists Coby White (left calf strain), Tidjane Salaun (left calf strain) and Liam McNeeley (left ankle strain) as out.

For Avdija, the backdrop is simple: he missed six games, returned with a full line against Indiana, and now appears set to play again without an injury designation. In hornets vs trail blazers, Portland will test whether that availability can translate into something the team has been chasing since Feb. 9—back-to-back wins. The homestand continues Friday, when the Trail Blazers play the Utah Jazz at 10: 00 p. m. ET at Moda Center.