Trendon Watford making impressions as 76ers close trip at Blazers

Philadelphia aims to wrap up a five-game road trip against Portland on Monday night.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Philadelphia 76ers are 3-1 on their current five-game Western road trip and have won six of their last seven games overall. Forward Trendon Watford has emerged as a potential contributor for the playoffs, scoring 16 points against the Warriors and complementing star center Joel Embiid well. The 76ers face the Portland Trail Blazers, who recently snapped a six-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Why it matters

The 76ers are jockeying for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, and identifying role players like Watford who can contribute in the postseason is crucial. Meanwhile, the Blazers are looking to build momentum after ending their skid and getting key players like Scoot Henderson back from injury.

The details

Watford scored 16 points against the Warriors, his highest total since November, and has shown he can fit well alongside Embiid. 76ers coach Nick Nurse praised Watford's spacing and passing. The Blazers got strong performances from Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, and Donovan Clingan in their two wins over the Grizzlies, outscoring them 34-19 in the fourth quarter of the latter game.

  • The 76ers are 3-1 on their current five-game Western road trip.
  • The 76ers have won six of their last seven games overall.
  • Watford scored 16 points against the Warriors on Tuesday.
  • The Blazers snapped a six-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over the Grizzlies on Friday and Saturday.

The players

Trendon Watford

A forward for the Philadelphia 76ers who has emerged as a potential contributor for the playoffs, scoring 16 points against the Warriors and complementing star center Joel Embiid well.

Joel Embiid

The star center for the Philadelphia 76ers who has been playing well alongside Watford.

Tyrese Maxey

The 76ers guard who registered 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists against the Suns.

Nick Nurse

The head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers who has praised Watford's fit alongside Embiid.

Jerami Grant

The Trail Blazers forward who made six 3-pointers and scored 29 points in their win over the Grizzlies.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“You got to be ready to help the team. Your number is going to be called. It's inevitable. You need everybody to win games.”

— Tyrese Maxey, 76ers guard (yardbarker.com)

“He seems to fit pretty well with Joel due to his spacing and passing.”

— Nick Nurse, 76ers head coach (yardbarker.com)

“Creating chemistry. We had a few plays (Saturday) when I had a small (player) on me. Little stuff. Just building confidence together.”

— Trendon Watford (yardbarker.com)

“My teammates were finding me. I was getting open shots and getting open 3s and knocking them down.”

— Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers forward (yardbarker.com)

“He's a beast. He's been amazing for us all year on the boards and in the paint. He's helping us win a lot of games.”

— Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers forward (yardbarker.com)

What’s next

The 76ers will look to Watford and other role players to continue contributing as they close out their road trip against the Blazers. The Blazers will aim to get key injured players like Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe back on the court to build on their recent winning streak.

The takeaway

The 76ers' ability to identify and develop complementary pieces around stars like Embiid will be crucial for their playoff push, while the Blazers are hoping to get healthy and maintain the momentum from their recent wins over a tough opponent in the Grizzlies.