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Blazers begin NBA Summer League tournament play with 95-69 win over Atlanta

By Matt George Moore

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 12: Wade Baldwin IV #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 12, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 12: Wade Baldwin IV #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 12, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers got off to such a good start in the NBA Summer League that they earned a first-round bye. But they were back in action Thursday.

The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-69 for the second time in the 2018 NBA Summer League. But this time it was in tournament play.

Portland, which is now 4-0 in Summer League, started Wade Baldwin, John Jenkins, Jake Layman, Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan.

Trae Young sat this one out for Atlanta. (He didn’t play well in the first match-up between these teams on July 8. He played just nine minutes in that one, going 0/2 from the field.)

Blazers

The Blazers were led by Layman (20 points) and rookie Anfernee Simons (20 points in just 18 minutes).

Swanigan got off to a bad start in what looked like a mostly empty Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas; he had three turnovers in the first two minutes or so. And he finished the game with two points, 10 boards and five turnovers.

Layman may very well be one of those “tweeners” — way too talented to play in Vegas, but not talented enough to crack the Blazers lineup. Portland will need him to play more like his Summer League self this season, however.

Baldwin (15 points, eight assists, six rebounds) is another player who has dominated in Summer League. Once again, he looked like the most talented player on the court. During one stretch, he bulled his way to the basket for an and-1. On the next play, he completed a perfect alley-top pass to Layman.

Collins continued to struggle (eight points, six rebounds on 4/10 shooting). It’s beginning to look more and more like playing with a mask is not to Collins’ liking. He was tenacious, though.

Rookie Trent Jr.

While Collins continued to struggle, Gary Trent Jr. continued to impress. His didn’t light up the scoreboard (10 points, six rebounds), but he looked completely at ease.

He also showed good court and clock awareness — not to mention confidence — on this play at the end of the third quarter.

So Portland moves on in the tournament.

Stay locked here and on @RipCityProject for all the details.

Next: Summer League Blazers fitting Olshey’s new offensive plan