TUALATIN — One injured

starter will not play and another is a gametime decision tonight against the Toronto Raptors. 

Nicolas Batum will miss his first game of the season because of a sore back, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the Blazers’ heart and soul, Wesley Matthews, very well could join Batum in street clothes along Portland’s bench when the Raptors visit the Rose Garden at 7 p.m.

Matthews, who

during the Blazers’ loss to the Sacramento Kings Saturday night, went through portions of the team’s morning shootaround on Monday but is nowhere close to 100 percent.  The Blazers’ starting shooting guard said he will undergo electric stimulation and laser treatment throughout the day and will test his hip during his pregame warmup routine later tonight. 

His playing status will be determined after that. 

For Matthews, playing or not playing, involves more than merely one December game on the NBA schedule.  He’s never missed a game in his NBA career, playing in 250 in a row, and has the second-longest consecutive-games played streak in the NBA.  As Matthews weighs whether or not to play, he’s contemplating his health, his pride and

. 

“That’s what’s mainly weighing on my mind right now,” Matthews said of the streak. “ You don’t want to be counterproductive right now.  So many things weigh into whether you play or whether you sit.  And if you do sit, how long do you sit.  I don’t know.  I’ve just never been in a position where I really, really have to do that.  So this is all new to me.” 

One thing is certain: Matthews is hesitant to do anything that jeopardizes his long-term health.  Streak or no streak. 

“I don’t want this to set me back two weeks, three weeks,” Matthews said. 

After tonight, the Blazers play just two games over the next nine days — San Antonio visits Thursday and New Orleans visits Sunday — so sitting out one or two games could provide an extended chance for rest.  But it also would end an Iron Man streak he’s painstakingly worked to achieve, and it’s difficult to let that go. 

Matthews suffered a left hip flexor strain against the Kings and said he heard a “pop” when the injury occurred.  His body language and solemn tone after the game — and following shootaround on Monday — indicated he was struggling to accept the inevitable reality that he will have to miss the first game in his career. 

“If it was easy, everybody would have a streak like that,” Matthews said, noting the pride he holds in his streak. “ It’s not an easy sport that we play, with contact every single day, whether it’s in games or in practice.  And it’s also a blessing.  I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve been forced to be out due to injury.  So I’ve been lucky in that sense.  I hope it doesn’t end.” 

Matthews, who is averaging 16.0 points and 3.1 rebounds and ranks second on the team in three-point shooting percentage (39), has not undergone X-rays or a magnetic resonance imaging test on his ailing hip.  But if he cannot play against the Raptors, he said he likely will have tests performed. 

As for Batum, he did not participate in the Blazers’ shootaround.  Blazers coach Terry Stotts said Batum has experienced “moderate” improvement in this back, but is “not close right now” to playing. 

Stotts did not reveal who he will start in Batum’s place at small forward, saying that Matthews’ playing status will factor into the decision. 

The Blazers will lose a lot as Batum sits.  If Matthews joins him, they will lose their two best wing defenders and two of their biggest offensive threats. 

“Both are a big part of what we do at both ends of the floor,” Stotts said. “ They do a lot of different things, Obviously, we’ll miss them.” 

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