Trail Blazers vs Jazz: Final stop before the All-Star break tips at 9:00 pm ET

Portland heads to Salt Lake City on the second night of a back-to-back, looking to rebound before the All-Star pause, while Utah aims to extend a mini-surge despite a lengthy injury list. Tipoff is Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 9:00 pm ET.

Tipoff context and recent form

The Trail Blazers enter at 26-29 after falling in Minnesota on Wednesday night, a stumble that snapped momentum built by three consecutive wins prior to that loss. Portland has also been skidding on the road, dropping four straight away from home. The Jazz, 18-37, have won two in a row and are coming off a resounding victory over Sacramento, with both teams navigating a back-to-back ahead of the league’s annual break.

Injury report and availability

Portland’s list remains crowded. Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle, and Damian Lillard are out, with Lillard sidelined for the season. Deni Avdija (lower back injury management) and Robert Williams III (left knee injury management) are questionable for tonight. Their statuses could swing Portland’s frontcourt and wing rotations, especially given the short turnaround.

Utah is also short-handed. Walker Kessler (shoulder) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) are out for the season, while Keyonte George and Elijah Harkless are out. Lauri Markkanen is listed as questionable. Whether Markkanen suits up—and how many minutes he plays if he does—looms as a late-day storyline with direct impact on Utah’s spacing and late-game shot creation.

Battle of the boards: Clingan’s chance to tilt the paint

With Utah thin at true center after Kessler’s season-ending injury, the interior could decide the night. Former Portland big Jusuf Nurkić is handling starting five duties for the Jazz, but when he sits the rim protection and defensive rebounding drop-off is stark. That creates a window for Donovan Clingan to impose his size on the glass, generate second-chance points, and control the tempo defensively. If Portland wins the offensive rebounding margin decisively, it can cover for any cold stretches from the perimeter and keep the Jazz from getting into early offense.

Portland’s coaching staff has leaned on a physical paint presence to stabilize half-court possessions this season. With Williams III questionable, the onus increases on Clingan and the remaining bigs to box out and finish through contact. Utah’s counters will likely involve crowding the paint early, scram-switching smaller defenders to deny deep post position, and daring Portland’s shooters to beat single coverage.

Turnover test could swing it

Both teams rank near the bottom of the league in turnovers, with Portland at 16.5 per game and Utah at 15.3. On a back-to-back, decision-making can fray, making first-pass reads and simple outlets crucial. The Blazers will want to keep live-ball mistakes to a minimum—particularly against Utah’s opportunistic wings—while the Jazz must avoid over-dribbling into loaded help against Portland’s length.

For Portland, cleaner initiations from the guards and wings—sharp entries to the elbow, early post seals, and strong-side exchanges—should trim giveaways. Utah, meanwhile, benefits from pushing off misses but must balance pace with security; rushed kick-aheads against set defenders feed Portland’s transition defense and lead to empty possessions.

Fourth-quarter questions for Utah’s rotation

Utah’s recent pattern of trimming fourth-quarter minutes for key starters has been a subplot this week. Even in competitive games, the Jazz have leaned into developmental groups late, a choice that can reshape closing-time dynamics. If Markkanen is active but monitored, Portland’s late-game defensive coverage can prioritize ball denial on primary actions and force other Jazz scorers to create off the bounce.

For the Blazers, the closer role remains collaborative. If Avdija is cleared, his connective passing mitigates late-clock pressure. If he sits, Portland may rely more heavily on Clingan’s screening and roll gravity, with spot-up threats spacing to the corners. Either way, the side pick-and-roll between the five and lead guard should be a steady endgame staple.

What’s at stake before the All-Star break

Portland seeks to halt a road slide and carry a winning feeling into the weekend. The Jazz are balancing competitive stretches with long-view development and health management. With both teams on short rest, the margins—defensive rebounding, turnover differential, and late-game composure—figure to be decisive.

In a matchup where each side has struggled to value the ball and both are juggling absences, the path is clear: win the glass, simplify the offense, and close cleanly. If the Trail Blazers hit two of those three checkpoints, they head into the break with a needed road result. If the Jazz keep the pace up and get timely bench shooting, their surge extends another night.