#NBA

#NBA

PHOENIX -- Portland Trail Blazers All-Star guard Deni Avdija left Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns because of a lower back injury and the team said he wouldn't return to the game. Avdija was listed as questionable coming into the game but decided to play. He lasted just one minute before leaving the court and going back to the locker room.

"Probably," he said. "We'll see. I got to talk to people."

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"To be honest, I've toyed with this and I've talked to some people," Brown said. "Maybe post part of my career, I'd love to partake in something like UFC or even boxing. I've talked to Dana White about some stuff, but we'll see as things go on. We'll see."

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"If Jayson Tatum comes back, I wouldn't put them as the favorite," Perkins acknowledged, "but I would say this: Even without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are the most dangerous team in the NBA. "They're the only team that's like a top-three seed in their conference with no expectations," he added. "That's a dangerous team. They're playing with house money."

The Blazers hit a rough patch at the end of January, into February. Perhaps this past weekend's return of sophomore phenom Scoot Henderson will bring about a welcome change. That, and Deni Avdija unplugging for a week to heal his ailing back, completely ignorant to any glowing endorsements received from genocidal world leaders (god this has been a rugged season to be a Blazer fan).