Deandre Ayton of the Trail Blazers is unable to travel to Wednesday’s game that Moda Center due to an ice storm.

Deandre Ayton of the Trail Blazers is unable to travel to Wednesday’s game that Moda Center due to an ice storm.

Deandre Ayton, center for the Portland Trail Blazers, was scheduled to make his court return on Wednesday night in Portland against the Brooklyn Nets, following an 11-game absence due to right knee tendinitis.

Tuesday’s icy storm that impacted the Portland region and impeded the mobility of numerous individuals additionally stopped Ayton from reaching the Moda Center.

Even professional athletes occasionally experience snow days; however, Trail Blazers superstar Deandre Ayton experienced more of an ice storm on Wednesday.

The adverse weather conditions that befell the Portland area on Tuesday continued to wreak havoc the following day, impeding Deandre Ayton’s ability to travel to Moda Center in time to face the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

OregonLive reports that Ayton, who had already missed eleven games via right knee tendinitis, was expected to return to the court on Wednesday, as stated by Blazers assistant Chauncey Billups to reporters before the game.

“Ayton attempted for hours to combat a blanket of ice leading out of his neighborhood, and the team dispatched personnel to assist, but to no avail,” Casey Holdahl, a reporter for the Trail Blazers, wrote on X.

The Trail Blazers entered the contest with a 10-29 record on the year, and they had a 3-8 record when Ayton was absent from the lineup against the Nets.

Ayton has not appeared in an encounter since December 23, when the Trail Blazers were defeated on the road by the Warriors.

Since being acquired from the Suns in a trade last season, he has spent his entire campaign with the Trail Blazers. Ayton has exhibited a 54.8 percent floor percentage while averaging 13.1 points along with 10.8 rebounds.

He is expected to be able to return to action on Friday against Indiana when Portland hosts Indiana.

According to KOIN, the frigid temps have rendered the roads in Portland perilous, and additional freezing precipitation is possible to the region on Thursday.

According to PowerOutage.us, severe winter weather in the Pacific Northwest has caused hazardous conditions and left 50,000 people in Oregon without power. Wednesday, Portland Trail Blazers big Deandre Ayton was compelled to endure a snow day.

The big man was unable to make it to the arena in time to play at home against the Brooklyn Nets, coach Chauncey Billips informed reporters.

Casey Holdahl, an in-house reporter for the Blazers, subsequently provided crucial information: Ayton was confined to his residence as a result of an unexpected ice storm that struck the Portland metropolitan area.

Ayton reportedly spent hours attempting to breach the sheet of ice despite the Blazers dispatching personnel to assist him, to no avail. This endeavor persisted for hours; that is precisely what renders this circumstance peculiar.

Ayton, who is one of the best athletic people in the world and stands 7 feet tall, had the full support of a billion-dollar NBA organization, more than a day’s worth of notice, and hours to complete tasks, and was unable to depart for the trip.

Putting aside all jests, however, driving via ice is extremely hazardous, and it would be utterly foolish to attempt to do so when the road conditions were truly that dire.

Moreover, with a record of 10-29, the Blazers did not have much to lose by falling further behind the Nets in terms of personnel.

In November, the Blazers lost their other leading big man, Robert Williams, to season-ending knee replacement surgery.

The group persevered, defeating the Nets 105-103 on Anfernee Simons’s game-winning floater in the final seconds.

Ayton is in his inaugural campaign with the Portland Trail Blazers, having been acquired through a trade from the Suns in Phoenix, a franchise based in a city where such matters are practically non-existent.

Ayton, who is 25 years old, has averaged 13.1 points as well as 10.8 rebounds on 54.8% field goal percentage in 24 games.

Ayton maintains a double-double average per game, contributing 13.1 points and 10.8 rebounds. A dependable paint presence will be provided by his return to a struggling Blazers squad.

14th overall in the Western Conference standings, Portland enters this cross-conference matchup. Although things have not transpired precisely as planned, there remain instances of optimism.

Jerami Grant, an experienced forward, is the second-highest scorer in terms of points per game this season. Additionally, the young guards of the Blazers are producing and accumulating valuable experience.

Portland is down to its last man, Deandre Ayton, and must perform at its highest level against a Nets squad desperate for a victory.

Eight of Brooklyn’s last nine games have ended in defeat. However, with the game nearing its commencement, the Trail Blazers still possess a chance to protect their home court and secure a victory.