Robert Williams III was cleared on the official injury report Saturday afternoon after being listed as day-to-day with a left knee issue. That puts the Trail Blazers center back in line to play at Utah at 3:00 PM ET.
What happened
Robert Williams III was cleared on the official injury report at 2:10 PM ET on Saturday, Oct. 31. His previous status was day-to-day. No detail or comment came with the change. The update ends a short stretch tied to his left knee. He was listed day-to-day with the knee on Thursday, Oct. 29, then moved to out the same day. He went back to day-to-day on Friday, Oct. 30. He has now been cleared three times since Oct. 13. He was also cleared on Oct. 17 after being listed day-to-day for rest.
What it means for the Trail Blazers
Portland plays at Utah at 3:00 PM ET on Saturday, less than an hour after the update. The Trail Blazers are 3-1, the fourth seed, and lost their last game. They are 3-0 with Williams and 0-1 without him. In three games he has averaged 9.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 18.1 minutes. Without him, Donovan Clingan played 24.1 minutes and scored 9.8 points. Toumani Camara logged 25.0 minutes with 15.5 points. Deni Avdija led the group at 31.6 minutes and 22.8 points. Ja Morant (left hamstring) and Shaedon Sharpe (right knee) are both out.
What to watch
Being cleared puts Williams in line to play at Utah. How many minutes he will get has not been announced. The next injury report will show whether his left knee comes back onto the list. This week he went from day-to-day to out and back within two days, so his status is worth checking before each game. Morant and Sharpe stay out, so Portland's rotation stays short beyond Williams.
Is Robert Williams III playing at Jazz on Saturday?
He was cleared on the official injury report at 2:10 PM ET on Saturday, ahead of the 3:00 PM ET game at Utah. His minutes have not been announced.
When will Robert Williams III be back?
He is cleared now, after being listed day-to-day with a left knee issue. No other return timeline has been announced.