Portland Trail Blazers reserve center Robert Williams III played a small, but critical, role for the team’s surprise 109-107 victory against the Denver Nuggets on Halloween.
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Williams made his return for the first time this season while playing on a minutes restriction, and made a subtle two-way impact. In just 11:15 of action on the hardwood, he chipped in four points, four boards, one rejection and one dime.
Per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, Williams was over the moon about his return to the floor.
“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 is hoping to find a way to integrate himself into the new-looked Trail Blazers’ amended frontcourt rotation, behind freshly promoted starting center Donovan Clingan and probably ahead of raw rookie five Yang Hansen.
“Just giving (opposing) defenders a different matchup to look at,” Williams said of his anticipated role. “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.”
Williams’ return earned rave reviews from his Portland comrades.
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“Rob was great,” forward Deni Avdija observed. “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 the win, Williams made sure to get in a brisk workout and cardio session in the team weight room.
“I told Rob you got to stop working out,” reserve Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant joked. “He worked about seven times a day [on the road to recovery]. 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.”
Williams has rarely been available during his tenure with the Trail Blazers so far. The former All-Defensive Second Teamer suited up for just 26 contests across his first two seasons, and already missed the first games of 2025-26 before coming back.
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