Portland opens season with a dominating 124-76 win over Phoenix
By Dayton Brown
The first game of the season is in the books for the Portland Trail Blazers. They leave the desert with a massive victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Breathe in the fresh air of a brand new NBA season, people. It’s here, and it’s coming off the heels of the craziest offseason in league history.
After opening night slated two star-studded games, tonight featured the rest of the league participating in their first games of 2017.
The Portland Trail Blazers faced off against the Phoenix Suns for the third time in two weeks.
The game didn’t see CJ McCollum as he was unfortunately suspended for the first game. That didn’t stop Portland from crushing Phoenix behind a terrific start.
The lead was as large as 58 points, and, after being tied at 17, the Blazers took the lead and never looked back. They finished the first quarter with at 12-4 run, and outscored the Suns 69-34 between the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
Portland begins the season at 1-0, with the Indiana Pacers on the horizon.
Three takeaways
The team can win without its stars
As said, McCollum missed tonight’s game due to suspension. The shooting guards absence was significant, as he is 1/3 of the team’s “Big 3.”
Jusuf Nurkić had a double-double, but was just 2/7 from the field for 11 points.
That leaves Damian Lillard with the only star performance of the Big Three. He led the team with 27 points on 10/20 shooting (4/6 from deep) with five assists and five rebounds.
This win showed the true depth and chemistry the Blazers possess. Al-Farouq Aminu, Evan Turner, and Moe Harkless (the other three starters tonight) combined for 25 points, 21 rebounds, and seven assists on 9/21 shooting.
Those solid performances helped Portland stay up throughout the contest.
Rookie fan-favorite Caleb Swanigan had eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes tonight, helping his role on the current team rise. Ed Davis returned from his shoulder injury strong, and Jake Layman and Shabazz Napier impressed in unexpected minutes.
If anything, tonight’s game will give fans even more comfort in the team, as a win without total star power came so easily.
The Suns are… still developing
As one of the youngest teams in the league, most know the Suns to be tanking. At this point, they have more potential than talent. Two of their best players, Devin Booker and Josh Jackson, are both younger than 22.
Tyler Ulis, Mike James, Derrick Jones, Jr., Marquese Chriss, and Alec Peters are also young and developing.
The Suns are processing; the team is still gathering and developing talent for the future and beyond.
Now, this isn’t to take away the credibility of the Blazers’ victory. They pounded on an NBA team, no matter the roster.
But, their win should be taken with a grain of salt, due to inexperience and it being the first game of the year.
The Blazers couldn’t have asked for a better opening opponent, though, as the team was tested without CJ.
Pat Connaughton is ready for the next level
If I asked you who on the Blazers roster would be the second in scoring on opening night behind Lillard, most would say Nurkić or Harkless. No one would have guess Pat Connaughton, who put up 24 points.
That marks a career-high for Connaughton as he begins his 3rd year in the league.
Next: Jusuf Nurkic to become restricted free agent
After pushing back the deadline for an extension, Portland picked up Connaughton’s team option up to keep him on the team this offseason. The move was in hopes of having him step up to improve the team.
He delivered right away. He shot 64% from the floor, and 57% from downtown.
Let’s hope tonight’s game foreshadows what Connaughton will bring to the table for the remainder of the season.