- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: CrispyCream27 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Team logos via ESPN.
Damian Lillard scored 25 points and hit six 3-pointers in his first regular-season game since rejoining Portland, leading the Trail Blazers to a 124-83 demolition of the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
Portland opened the season with a 21-0 run and never looked back, building a 72-39 halftime advantage and extending the margin to 52 points. The Suns did not score from the field until free throws with 5:54 remaining in the first quarter, finishing at 36 percent shooting and 6 of 31 from beyond the arc.
Newcomer Ja Morant, acquired from Memphis in an offseason trade for Grant and Murray, added 14 points and eight assists. Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija each contributed 18 points, with Avdija also grabbing 10 rebounds despite a right ankle injury that made him a game-time decision. Rookie Donovan Clingan hit a 3-pointer during the Blazers' opening surge.
Phoenix's Devin Booker managed 23 points in his 12th NBA season. Portland coach Nori, hired from the Timberwolves after Splitter left for the Bulls, removed his starters early in the fourth quarter. The Blazers, who ended a five-year postseason drought last season, begin the campaign with Lillard back after he missed last season with a torn Achilles.
Source: ESPN - Thu Oct 22, 12:37 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).