It didn’t take long for Damian Lillard to make the point. One quarter into Portland’s season opener against Phoenix, the Trail Blazers already had the Suns buried under a 43-12 first-quarter lead, and Lillard had done a lot of the damage.
In just nine minutes, he put up 12 points, two rebounds and two assists while hitting 3 of 5 shots from deep. Portland as a team stayed scorching from outside, going 8 of 16 on 3-pointers in the opening frame.
That early burst made the contrast with last season’s roster impossible to ignore. The Blazers once had trouble creating steady offense beyond Deni Avdija, but Lillard changed the feel of the whole group almost immediately. His presence gave Portland cleaner spacing, and that opened things up for Avdija and also Morant, who added six points, three rebounds and three assists of his own in the first quarter.
The opening stretch also backed up Micah Nori’s decision to start Morant and Lillard together, even though there had been conflicting reports leading into the game about whether that would actually happen. In the early going, the backcourt pairing solved a lot of the problems that had slowed the Blazers offense a season ago, especially the shooting and playmaking issues that kept surfacing.
Portland’s starting structure was clear right away: Morant, Lillard and Avdija handling the offense, with Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara filling out the defense-first pieces. That setup worked from the jump, with each player leaning into a more defined job.
Phoenix, which had become more defense-minded last season after its blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, had no answer for the downhill pressure of Avdija and Morant with Lillard stretching the floor. There had been some question about whether Avdija’s and Morant’s attacking styles would crowd each other, or whether Morant might be better suited as a sixth man.
Instead, Portland showed another layer to its attack. If one option got cut off, the Blazers simply swung the ball to the next one and kept the pressure coming until the Suns had to collapse.
That kind of versatility is exactly why the move for Morant already looks like one that’s working for GM Joe Cronin and the Blazers. But Lillard’s shooting and extra playmaking are the pieces that make the whole thing click.
Preseason hinted at it. The opener made it real. If Lillard keeps producing like this, Portland’s offense looks a lot more dangerous than last year’s 42-win group.
In Other News...
Ja Morants Blazers Debut Just Raised A Bigger Backcourt Question
Ja Morants first run in a Trail Blazers uniform offered an immediate glimpse of what Portland hoped to add when it pulled off the trade with Memphis for Kris Murray and Jerami Grant. Morant got to work right away, scoring six points in his first eight minutes and showing the kind of three-point touch that can change the look of an offense in a hurry. Damian Lillard was sharp too, finishing with 12 points in 12 minutes as Portland jumped out to an early lead.
The early return was encouraging, but it also underlined why the Blazers backcourt now comes with so much intrigue. Morant and Lillard each made a clear imprint in short bursts, and Portlands ability to keep both dynamic guards involved will be one of the more interesting things to watch as the season unfolds. The fit looks promising on paper, but the bigger question is how the Blazers balance two players who both want the ball and can tilt a game in an instant. [Read more 🡒]
Bookers Rough Suns Opener Already Has Fans Fired Up
The Portland Trail Blazers opened the 2026-27 season with a fast start against Phoenix, and the tone of the game turned chippy almost as quickly as the scoreboard did. Portland jumped out to a sizable first-quarter lead behind its new backcourt pairing of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, giving fans an early look at the kind of pace and pressure this roster can bring when it is clicking.
Devin Booker spent much of the night trying to steady the Suns, but the opener also featured a series of heated exchanges with Morant that escalated into double technical fouls for both guards. For a Portland team trying to announce itself as a more serious force in the West, the bigger picture is whether this new group can turn that opening burst into something sustainable once the emotion of opening night fades. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Sent A Loud Opening Night Message To The NBA
The season opener in Phoenix quickly turned into a showcase for Portland, which ran out to a 21-0 burst and never let the Suns find their footing. The Blazers walked away with a 124-83 win, a lopsided result built on pace, physicality and a clear edge on the glass, where they outworked Phoenix 56-39.
Damian Lillard set the tone for Portland with 25 points, while Devin Booker finished with 23 in an evening where the Suns struggled to establish much rhythm on either end. For a team trying to set an early standard, it was about as strong a first impression as Portland could have made, and the bigger question now is whether this kind of start can carry over once the schedule settles in. [Read more 🡒]