The Portland Trail Blazers showcased many of their new mantras in their season opener versus the Golden State Warriors. They played fast with a renewed commitment to defense. They benefitted from strong games from newcomer Deni Avdija and sophomore Scoot Henderson. They took care of the ball fairly well too. All of that was good for about one quarter of strong contention. After that, Golden State’s ability to shoot the three (20-48 on the evening) propelled them to a 139-104 win over Portland.
Scoot Henderson led the Blazers in scoring with 22. Avdija posted 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots in his first game wearing Portland’s uniform. Steph Curry had 17 for the Warriors, fellow sharpshooter Buddy Hield 22.
First Quarter
The first quarter of this game belonged to Deni Avdija. He contributed in two significant ways: staying in front of his man on defense and setting up shooters from the middle of the floor on offense. The difference was tangible and noticeable. Having one solid wing defender manning the point of attack allowed the other four defenders to stay home on their men instead of shading to help and getting cut on.
Portland’s passion for pace also showed up early. Avdija helped push the attack down the floor. Three-point shooters were ready and eager. The Blazers even got some penetration on the plodding Warriors, opening up a 12-3 lead at the 7:00 mark.
Portland’s second unit was a little bit slower and more turnover-prone. Scoot Henderson couldn’t control the ball and his shooters couldn’t can it. Despite that, the Blazers and Warriors were tied at the end of one, 21 apiece,
Second Quarter
The second period opened up with a contrast of styles. Portland tried to drive the lane at every opportunity, feasting on layups and tough shots in traffic. Golden State unleashed their three-point game. The Blazers did a reasonable job of defending the arc, but their second-unit players weren’t quite mobile enough to bother the marksmen in blue and gold. They were plenty big and physical enough to get to the rim, though. That kept the scoreboard even through the first six minutes of the frame.
Toumani Camara proved his defensive chops during the second. He seemed to be roaming everywhere the ball went, frustrating Golden State’s attempts to move the rock and feet.
Sadly, the Warriors’ threes started falling as the period unwound. You can only play with fire so long. Caught between grabbing rebounds and getting out to the arc, the Blazers ended up doing neither particularly well. Buddy Hield was a particular problem. Golden State opened up the lead from 1 to 7 in what seemed like seconds. The threes just kept on falling. Golden State led 62-50 at the half.
Third Quarter
The Blazers came out in the second half wanting to play up tempo again. This time the Warriors were ready. They committed to the inside, making Portland shoot deep, then corralling the rebound to streak out themselves. This left them with one-on-one layups or wide-open threes. The game threatened to get away from Portland at this point.
The Blazers stopped the bleeding for a bit, ironically by slowing down a little and tightening up the defense. But it wouldn’t last for long. When Steph Curry caught fire, Portland might as well have been the French national team. The Warriors had the lead to 20 by the midpoint of the period. And that was before Portland’s defense got lazy and stopped getting back. Layups on top of threes gave Golden State all the cushion they needed to salt away the game early. The Warriors led 99-72 after three.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth period went about as expected, with Golden State continuing to can threes and Portland continuing to lose because of it. Portland’s ball movement remained good. Their rebounding did not. The Warriors turned Portland’s attack back against them too, outrunning the guys in red and black for a constant stream of easy buckets. It’ll be a long season and this won’t be the last fourth-quarter blowout. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.
Up Next
Stay tuned for extended coverage and analysis of the game coming up soon!
The Blazers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night with a 7:00, Pacific tip-off.
