PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland Trail Blazers point guard Jrue Holiday appears close to making a return to the court, while forward Kris Murray has joined the team’s extensive injury list.
Holiday was listed as “probable” ahead of Portland’s matinee game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, along with reserve center Robert Williams III - who exited the team’s win over the Houston Rockets on Friday with a knee injury.
The veteran point guard last played on Nov. 14, having missed nearly two months of action with a calf strain.
Through 12 games this season, Holiday has averaged just shy of 17 points per game, along with five rebounds and eight assists. Forward Deni Avdija has been operating as the team’s de facto point guard in his absence.
Meanwhile, the team revealed Sunday that forward Kris Murray suffered a lumbar strain in his lower back earlier in the week against the Utah Jazz, offering no timetable for his return.
Injury Update:
Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray was evaluated after Monday night's game vs. the Utah Jazz and it has been determined that he has been diagnosed with a lumbar strain in his lower back. His status for return to play will be updated as appropriate. pic.twitter.com/TFDnLyBKLa
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 11, 2026
Murray, who has appeared in 34 games this season while making 11 starts, joins an extensive list of Blazers on the injury report.
Outside of superstar Damian Lillard - ruled out for the season after tearing his Achilles in the 2025 NBA Playoffs while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks - the most notable name still out is guard Scoot Henderson.
The 21-year-old tore his hamstring prior to the season in September. The team initially ruled him out for four to eight weeks - putting his targeted return date sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
In a press release on Jan. 1, the team stated that Henderson had “initiated non-contact, on-court basketball activities,” and that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks, which would be Thursday, Jan. 15.
Jerami Grant, Matisse Thybulle, and Blake Wesley also all remain listed as “out,” as of Sunday.
The Blazers (19-20) host the Knicks (24-14) at 3 p.m. Sunday, looking to expand on their season-high five-game winning streak.
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