Portland, Oregon: Trail Blazers Swingman Vit Krejci Faces Long Absence After Fracturing Lower Left Leg

The Portland Trail Blazers' 132-119 win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, came with a heavy cost. Swingman Vit Krejci fractured his lower left leg in the third quarter, head coach Micah Nori told reporters after the game, and he is expected to miss significant time, The Oregonian reported.

How the injury happened

With 2:06 left in the third quarter in Phoenix, Krejci ran back on defense and tried to take a charge against Suns forward Miles Bridges. He took an awkward step before the contact, fell to the floor clutching his lower leg and could not get up. Teammates Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams helped him off the court. The team first described the injury as a left ankle injury. Nori later said Krejci had suffered a fracture, though it was unclear whether the broken bone is in his leg or his ankle. Krejci had scored 5 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 12 minutes before he left. He left the arena on crutches and wearing a protective boot on his left foot, Joe Freeman reported for The Oregonian.

No surgery decision and no timeline yet

Nori said it had not yet been determined whether Krejci will require surgery, and the team has released no official recovery timeline. "It's awful for Vit," Nori said. He added that the mood in the locker room was very somber after the win. Clingan said of the injury: "It's tough. He's a guy who has taken great advantage of his minutes and it's definitely tough to see someone who is as good of a guy go down like that. But we've got his back."

The third backcourt injury for a 6-1 team

Krejci is the third Portland backcourt player hit by a major injury this season. Shaedon Sharpe underwent knee surgery in August and was ruled out for at least six months, while Ja Morant sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain last week and is expected to miss at least four weeks. Even with all three out, the 6-1 Trail Blazers still have Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday in the backcourt, and two-way player Chris Youngblood could see more regular minutes. Krejci, 26, joined Portland in a trade deadline deal last season and averaged 7.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.2 minutes over 19 bench appearances down the stretch. This fall he had averaged 2.7 points in 10.3 minutes across his first seven outings.