Charlotte Hornets vs Portland Trail Blazers: preview and player stats

Injury/Illness - Left Hamstring Strain (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX). Prior reporting (2026-11-08): Knueppel (hamstring) was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain Sunday and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Knueppel missed the first eight games of the 2026-27 campaign. He returned for the 114-104 loss to Brooklyn on Wednesday, though he exited the contest after just six minutes of work and didn't return. With Knueppel out of commission for at least a month, Grayson Allen and Sion James are candidates to replace him in the starting lineup, especially with Dennis Schroder (hamstring) sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.

Injury/Illness - Right Quadriceps Tendinopathy (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX). Prior reporting (2026-11-12): Diabate (quadriceps) is listed as probable for Thursday's game against the Suns. Diabate is expected to return from a two-game absence Thursday, which would leave fewer minutes available for Ryan Kalkbrenner. Through nine regular-season games, Diabate has averaged 8.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks in 28.8 minutes per tilt.

Injury/Illness - Right Hip Strain (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX). Prior reporting (2026-11-12): Miller (groin) is listed as out for Thursday's game against Phoenix. Miller injured his groin during the 119-80 loss to Boston on Friday and subsequently missed Monday's meeting with Cleveland. Now that Miller is confirmed to be sidelined for a second consecutive contest, Sion James is the favorite to remain in the starting lineup.

Injury/Illness - Right Hamstring Strain (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX). Prior reporting (2026-11-12): Williams (hamstring) is listed as probable for Thursday's game against the Suns. Williams is trending toward making his season debut Thursday after battling a right hamstring strain. However, the veteran forward isn't guaranteed to see meaningful playing time once he returns.

Injury/Illness - Left Hamstring Strain (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX). Prior reporting (2026-11-08): Schroder has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com reports. Schroder, who missed Friday's game due to what was described as a left thigh injury, has been diagnosed with a hamstring strain. He is set to be reevaluated in two weeks, suggesting he will miss at least the next five games. Christian Anderson and Sion James could see extra minutes with Schroder sidelined.

G League - On Assignment (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX).

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX).

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-12, CHA@PHX).

Head coach Micah Nori said Morant met with a doctor in Los Angeles, who gave him a positive outlook on his recovery from the hamstring injury. While Nori declined to update Morant's timetable, he added Morant "may not be out for as long as we thought," Trail Blazers Insider Sean Highkin reports. Morant was initially given a four-week timetable after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on Oct. 30. It sounds like he's making solid progress, though it would be surprising to see him beat that timetable given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries. Scoot Henderson will continue to start in his absence and there will be more minutes available for Jrue Holiday.

Sharpe suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss six months, per Shams Charania of ESPN. It's a tough blow to the Trail Blazers' depth on the wing ahead of training camp. Sharpe, who is now likely to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, had been ticketed for a reserve role behind Toumani Camara following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, which saw average a career-high 20.8 points, 1.4 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game over 50 regular-season appearances. The door is now open for Vit Krejci and Jeremy Sochan to compete for bench minutes during camp.

Krejci underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports. Krejci suffered the ankle injury in last Wednesday's win over the Suns and is set to miss an extended period after undergoing surgery. With the 26-year-old and Ja Morant (hamstring) both on the shelf, Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko should continue seeing increased minutes.

Youngblood has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Thunder. Youngblood came down awkwardly following a fastbreak layup attempt at the start of the fourth quarter and didn't return. He's recently carved out a role in Portland, averaging 14.8 minutes per game over the past five games, so in his absence, Sidy Cissoko and Scoot Henderson are candidates for increased roles.