The Portland Trail Blazers put together a phenomenal start to the 2026-27 NBA season. After a playoff appearance last year, the hope is that they can at least maintain that level of success this season, if not be better. And with the additions of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, the expectation is that they certainly can. Based on the first game of the season, this team’s going to be very competitive, because Portland made a statement on opening night, defeating the Phoenix Suns 124-83 at Moda Center. It was dominant from start to finish.
Micah Nori’s first game as Portland’s head coach had his team off to a hot start. The Blazers exploded for 43 points in the opening quarter while holding Phoenix to just 12, and held a 31-point advantage through the first 12 minutes, which isn’t something you see often in the NBA. And they didn’t take their foot off the gas from there. Portland continued that momentum in the second quarter and led 72-39 at halftime. At that point, the game was already well in hand, but the Blazers continued to build on that lead in the second half.
Lillard was great in his first regular-season appearance since his torn Achilles, scoring a team-high 25 points along with six assists and three rebounds. He was 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, providing the exact offensive scoring punch that this team has needed. Morant was equally impressive in his Blazers debut with 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds while shooting an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor. He wasn’t needed to be a dynamic scorer tonight, given the way the offense was humming overall, and instead played more of a facilitator role. That’s an encouraging sign for a team with several players capable of making an offensive impact.
And from there, Deni Avdija had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Scoot Henderson scored 15 points off the bench and Donovan Clingan chipped in 11 points and seven boards. It was a night where everything was clicking for the Blazers. They were hot from beyond the arc, played good defense and got contributions from throughout the rotation. Phoenix simply had no answers for Portland, and the Blazers were able to maintain control of the game the entire night.
Ultimately, it was about as impressive a season opener as Portland could have hoped for. It’s only one game, and there’s still plenty of basketball to be played, but the early returns are certainly encouraging. Next, the Blazers will face the Sacramento Kings on Friday with an opportunity to start the season 2-0 and continue making a statement to the rest of the league.