The New York Knicks left California with a win after beating the Kings on Monday, and hope to return to the state with another win before Saturday's showdown against the Warriors. New York made a quick stop in Portland to play the Trail Blazers for the first time this season.
Some people might view Wednesday's game as an easy win for the Knicks, but the Trail Blazers are better than you think. They have a 17-13 record since the start of 2025, which is, believe it or not, the same record New York has.
Odds are Portland won't make the Play-In Tournament (the Blazers are five games behind the No. 10 Mavericks), but something special has been brewing in Oregon. Their most impressive stretch of the season happened in January/February when they won 10 of 11 games.
The Trail Blazers have lost three straight (Thunder, Pistons, Warriors) and will try to get back in the win column against the Knicks. They got a boost on Wednesday morning when NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Matisse Thybulle will make his season debut.
Portland Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle — who dealt with a knee and ankle injury — will suit up for the first time this season tonight against the New York Knicks, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/vBkpAn7G4a
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 12, 2025
Matisse Thybulle will make his season debut against the Knicks
Thybulle had surgery on his right knee during preseason to address inflammation. As he was working to return to the floor in November, he sprained his ankle, and has been out since. Portland fans thought he'd be out for a few weeks, not four months, and are excited to watch him play again.
Knicks fans remember Thybulle most from his days in Philadelphia, the organization that acquired him via trade after the 2019 draft. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice with the Sixers (2021,2022) before he was traded to the Blazers before the 2023 deadline.
Thybulle played 65 games (19 starts) for Portland last season, averaging 1.7 steals per game, behind only De'Aaron Fox (2) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2). His return to the lineup comes too late to help the Blazers make a Play-In push, but he'll boost a defense that was the best in the league at the start of the year.
If the Knicks play like they did on Monday against the Kings, Thybulle's return won't matter. Picking up a second straight win without Jalen Brunson would be another confidence boost for New York as the team tries to keep hold of the No. 2 seed in the East.