The Portland Trail Blazers earned their most impressive victory of the season.
They unleashed their best and most clutch performance in crunch time.
They even gained an early edge in the chase for the NBA Cup.
But the most important development in the Blazers’ entertaining, down-to-the-wire 109-107 win over the Denver Nuggets at the Moda Center came with 7:34 remaining in the first quarter, when Rob Williams III checked into a game for the first time this season.
After missing all but 26 games the last two seasons, skipping the first five games of 2025-26 and spending a few days in the G League working into game shape, the Blazers’ imposing center finally made his season debut, teasing the dominant defense, interior scoring and veteran savvy he will bring to an already-formidable second unit.
The veteran center was limited by a minute-restriction, so he only played 11 minutes, 15 seconds. But he contributed four points, four rebounds, one block and one assist, showing enough in three short shifts to make teammates walk away from the Moda Center home locker room giddy.
“Rob was great,” Blazers forward Deni Avdija said. “We missed him on the court. He has a big presence in the paint, blocking shots, catching lobs. He’s very athletic, a very good competitor. We just hope he’s going to stay healthy, because we really need him. It’s good to have him back.”
After checking into a game for the first time since Feb. 20, Williams wasted little time going to work, scoring his first field goal of the season less than two minutes into his first shift. The play came in a half-court set, with the shot clock inching toward zero, when Williams curled around a screen on the block and wiggled into the paint, where he collected a pass from Blake Wesley and completed a layup.
By the end of the night, even though he was far from midseason form and handcuffed by playing-time restrictions, Williams unleashed multiple highlights. He corralled three offensive rebounds. He collected a fourth-quarter assist on a bullet pass into the lane that Toumani Camara finished with a 6-foot floater. He blocked a third-quarter shot, swatting away a Peyton Watson layup in a possession that resulted in a Denver shot-clock violation. And he even had one of his patented alley-oop dunks, skying high in the fourth quarter to snare a pretty Jrue Holiday lob before hammering home a powerful two-handed dunk.
Afterward, Williams sauntered to his postgame interview wearing a beanie hat, dripping with sweat, and wearing a wide smile across his face.
“I’ve been missing the game, man, so it just felt good to be out there,” Williams said. “Obviously, the win is a big attribute, but just how we played (down) the stretch. It’s easy to put together, like, 40 minutes in a game, but to lock in at the key moments is a big thing.”
Williams won’t be putting together anything close to a 40-minute stretch anytime soon. He admitted to being “a little winded” after the game, a result of the Blazers’ blazing pace of play and his game shape. It’s part of why he was dripping with sweat in his postgame interview — Williams ducked into the weight room after his debut to do a little cardio and squeeze in a lift.
It drew a barrage of playful trash talk in the postgame locker room from teammate Jerami Grant, who couldn’t help but tease Williams’ push to return to the court.
“I told Rob you got to stop working out,” Grant said, chuckling. “He worked about seven times a day. I think he just did conditioning. He’s trying to get back in shape and everything. But he’s been amazing. And he was amazing for us tonight, just coming in, putting pressure on the rim — on the offensive end, defensive end — blocking shots. He’s going to be amazing.”
And while it will take time for Williams to work into midseason form — and adapt to the Blazers’ breakneck pace — he said he already sees ways he can work into flow of the offense through back-door cuts, “filling empty spots” and sharing the ball. His strengths, which include above-the-rim finishes, work in the post and passing, bring a different dynamic to the Blazers’ interior offense.
“Just giving (opposing) defenders a different matchup to look at,” he said, when asked how he can fit into the team’s new scheme. “We’ve got (Donovan Clingan) and (Yang) Hansen, the 7-footers. So I’ve got to get in, try to be more versatile, make the bigs move a little bit more, cut a little bit more.”
As for defense, well, Williams’ reputation speaks for itself — he was an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2022.
“He is, in my opinion, one of the best defensive centers in the league,” Blazers forward Kris Murray said. “So when we get him healthy and playing the way he does, it’s only going to get better … with him and (Clingan) in the paint, it’s tough. And just having him back is kind of a breath of fresh air for us, just with how he is in the locker room and what he brings every single day.”
The coming days will feature more cardio and on-court work for Williams as he continues to boost his conditioning and work back into midseason shape. The Blazers plan to slowly increase his playing time as his conditioning improves.
Friday was merely the next step, albeit an important one, in his long-awaited return.
And, fittingly, it just so happened to come on Halloween — Williams’ favorite holiday.
“I just love Halloween,” he said. “Costumes. Scary movies.”
Between the return, the win and the holiday, it was just about a perfect day for the 6-foot-10 veteran.
“Facts, man, facts,” Williams said, adding that his next move was to “get some good food and some rest, man.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
