The trip to Salt Lake City was brief, Drexler left behind a towering dunk but didn't take any money, and returned to Portland with the team.
After that, the Trail Blazers had two days to recuperate, but on December 4th, they faced an unexpected loss at home against the Kansas City Kings.
One reason was that Valentine was absent from the game due to an injury; during the last match against the Jazz, he strained his leg while attempting to drive past Mark-Eaton.
It wasn't noticeable during the game, and he persisted until the end, but afterward, he felt a pain on the inner side of his left thigh, and the Trail Blazers immediately started the medical process, demanding that Valentine rest and undergo an examination.
Such a general strain, in the past, could be dealt with and followed by a two-day rest before returning to the court, and now with the Trail Blazers on a good winning streak, they definitely wished to continue this momentum.
