> The Blazers are a league-best 8-2 in 2026, ranking in the top eight on both ends of the floor this month. Half of those wins have come against teams – San Antonio, Houston (x 2) and the Lakers – with winning records. L.A. was without Luka Dončić on Saturday, but the Blazers were without Deni Avdija for that game and the two that preceded it. Offense has been a real struggle (101.4 points scored per 100 possessions) with Avdija off the floor, but Caleb Love had 22 points and seven assists off the bench against L.A., his 14th straight game in double-figures.
>
> Jerami Grant returned from a 14-game absence on Thursday, but he and Jrue Holiday both missed the Blazers’ win in Sacramento on Sunday night, when Avdija returned from his three-game absence. So while the Blazers have outscored their opponents by [13.3 points per 100 possessions](https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612757/lineups-advanced?CF=GROUP_NAME*E*Avdija:GROUP_NAME*E*Holiday:GROUP_NAME*E*Grant&GroupQuantity=3) in 133 minutes with Avdija, Grant and Holiday all on the floor, they still haven’t all been available since Nov. 14 (Game 12). Matisse Thybulle hasn’t played since October and Scoot Henderson still hasn’t begun his third season.