Lillard scores 22 as Trail Blazers lead in third quarter

Morant adds 14 points, 8 assists in his Portland debut

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 46m1 min read

The pass. The lay. The celly. Dame & Ja are DIALED IN 📞 https://t.co/dffz85R8Al Via @NBA on X

What happened: Damian Lillard knocked down five 3-pointers and dished five assists while linking up with Ja Morant for a layup in the third quarter of Portland's 2026-27 season opener. Morant added five rebounds and three steals in the period after posting 10 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals in the first half.

Why it matters: The contest marks the regular-season debut of Portland's starting backcourt pairing of Lillard and Morant. The Trail Blazers entered the opener against the Suns weighing a three-guard rotation with Deni Avdija questionable and AJ Dybantsa sidelined, days after waiving forward Jeremy Sochan.

By the numbers: Through the third quarter, Lillard (22 PTS, 5 AST, 5 3PM) and Morant (14 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL) combined for 36 points and 13 assists.

What to watch: Portland looks to close out the fourth quarter of its 2026-27 opener as 22 NBA teams begin their regular-season schedules tonight.

Sources

@NBA 2026-10-22T03:56:21.382357+00:00

CONVERSATION

Loading comments…

NBARecapPortland Trail Blazers

Follow NBA Intelligence

Real-time signals and analysis

@WireReportNBA

WR Pro

The day's sports, briefed to your inbox at 7am ET. Every claim sourced.

$9/month Free weekly newsletter →