PORTLAND — The Portland Trail Blazers showcased pure dominance in their 124-83 victory against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. It was an effervescent atmosphere, from Damian Lillard's pregame message to the fans, all the way until the clock hit triple zeroes.
Emphatic victories are the results of fantastic individual performances. Here are three in particular that stood out.
Robert Williams
Logging just 15 minutes in the blowout win, Robert Williams III imposed his will on the glass and helped set a physical tone for the Blazers in the first half.
He finished with only two points, which came via a thunderous slam on a pick-and-roll lob from Ja Morant, but totaled 10 rebounds and one block. Three of his boards were offensive, keeping possessions alive during the Blazers insane first quarter sprint, which included a 21-0 run.
From a back-up center, there's not much left you can ask for. There's little, if any, dropoff when he comes in for Donovan Clingan, which he first did with around five minutes left in the first quarter. Timelord's impact is sure to grow in closer games.
Ja Morant
Morant was electric in his offcial debut with Portland. There were acrobatic finishes, feats of athleticism crashing the glass and spot-up threes drilled, eliciting strong reactions from the Rip City crowd.
The former All-NBA point guard recorded 14 points, five rebounds, eight assists, three steals and just one turnover in 22 minutes, posting a game-high +33 plus/minus. Morant was highly efficient from the field, shooting 6-for-8 overall and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
Moments of chemistry between Morant and his fellow guards Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson trickled throughout the first three quarters. With as many question marks that have been cast around the guard rotation, Morant and co proved, at least for a night, that they are indeed capable of thriving next to one another.
"I was happy (with our peformance)," Morant said post game. "Before we even stepped on the floor, Dame reminded me of what everybody been saying."
Damian Lillard
Lillard was simply magic. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand all night. Rip City desperately wanted any reason to erupt for him, and he provided plenty of moments.
The 13-year NBA veteran finished with a game-high 25 points, six assists and three rebounds, shooting 7-for-12 overall, 6-for-10 from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. There were pull-ups, spot-ups, side-steps — whatever the Suns allowed, Lillard went for.
He certainly didn't look like a guy coming off an Achilles tear.
"I did feel good, but I've felt good for months now," Lillard said. "I've been saying that, but I it's probably some people that might have been skeptical because they hadn't seen me. I hadn't been on the floor and been out in front of people, so I wouldn't say I was feeling it, but I've been feeling really good just moving around the floor, changing direction, stopping, going. My body is strong. I had 18, 19 months to prepare for this, and I didn't waste time, so I felt great tonight."
The Blazers next game is against the Sacramento Kings (0-1) on the road Friday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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