Trail Blazers News: Portland Celebrated Return Of 2 Starters In OT Win Over Toronto
On Saturday night, your Portland Trail Blazers saw rookie point guard Scoot Henderson and pricey starting center Deandre Ayton return to their rotation for the first time in weeks. The dynamic duo helped power the Trail Blazers to an exciting 128-118 double overtime victory over another lottery-bound bunch, the Toronto Raptors.
Henderson has been on the shelf with an adductor strain since prior to the All-Star break, while Ayton sprained his hand against the Miami Heat late last month.
Ayton drew the start instantly, demoting Duop Reath back to the bench. Ayton notched a team-most 30 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the field. He also grabbed 19 rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist.
Things weren't quite so sunny for Henderson, who remained a bench player for Portland. All told, six Blazers scored in double figures. Guards Delano Banton and Anfernee Simons chipped in the most non-"DominAyton" points (on 9-of-16 shooting) of anyone on the roster, scoring. Simons, meanwhile, had 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor (4-of-9 from long range).
Henderson scored 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the floor. It's an excellent start as he works his way back!
Per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report, head coach Chauncey Billups seemed optimistic that Henderson would recuperate somewhat, at some point.
“This has been tough on him,” Billups said. “He wants to play 82 games. He’s one of those guys. … If he’s healthy, we’d love to have him back. I don’t care how much of the season is left. He’s a guy who needs those reps.”
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