PORTLAND -- There is some debate regarding whether or not Thunder coach Billie Donovan actually said “can’t play Kanter” when the Turkish center was a reserve center for Oklahoma City during their first-round loss to the Houston Rockets back in the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Kanter said Donovan told him he didn’t say the words, or at least not in the spirit of which it was intended, and that he believes his former coach wouldn’t lie to him.
But on this, there can be no debate: the Trail Blazers could not have taken Game One versus the Thunder Sunday afternoon at the Moda Center without Enes Kanter.