PORTLAND, United States, October 21, 2026: Damian Lillard’s first regular-season game back in Portland lasted only a few minutes before it became clear the night would belong to him and the Trail Blazers.
Lillard scored 25 points, Ja Morant added 14 points and eight assists, and Portland opened the game with a stunning 21-0 run before routing the Phoenix Suns 124-83 at Moda Center.
Portland turned the opener into a mismatch immediately
Phoenix did not score until free throws with 5:54 left in the first quarter. By then, Portland had already established complete control.
Lillard, Morant, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan all hit early threes during the 21-0 burst. Lillard later made back-to-back threes to push the advantage to 38-8, and the Blazers carried a 72-39 lead into halftime.
Portland eventually led by as many as 52 points. This was not a late collapse by Phoenix. It was a game that escaped the Suns almost from the opening tip.
Lillard looked at home immediately
Lillard finished with 25 points and six three-pointers in his first regular-season appearance since returning to the franchise where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career.
The significance extended beyond sentiment. Lillard was returning from a torn Achilles, yet his shooting rhythm and command of the offense looked sharp enough to give Portland the spacing and late-clock creation it lacked during much of its recent rebuild.
Ja Morant’s debut changed Portland’s tempo
Morant scored 14 points and handed out eight assists in his first regular-season game for the Blazers after arriving from Memphis. He did not need to dominate the scoring load because Portland’s offense was already moving at a pace Phoenix could not handle.
Toumani Camara scored 18, while Avdija finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds despite entering the game with an ankle concern. The variety of production gave Portland enough options to pull the starters early in the fourth.
Phoenix never found its perimeter game
Devin Booker led the Suns with 23 points, but Phoenix shot only 36% from the field and went 6-for-31 from three-point range.
Against a Portland team making shots and playing downhill, that level of perimeter inefficiency was fatal. The Suns could not generate the run needed to make the game competitive again.
Key performers
| Player | Team | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Damian Lillard | Trail Blazers | 25 points, 6 threes |
| Ja Morant | Trail Blazers | 14 points, 8 assists |
| Toumani Camara | Trail Blazers | 18 points |
| Deni Avdija | Trail Blazers | 18 points, 10 rebounds |
| Devin Booker | Suns | 23 points |
What this win changes for Portland
The Blazers ended a five-year playoff drought last season. Adding a healthy Lillard and Morant to that foundation changes the expectations immediately.
Continue the NBA Story
Opening night does not prove Portland belongs among the West’s elite, but a 41-point victory built on shotmaking, transition pressure and multiple creators is the kind of result that forces opponents to reassess the matchup.
Portland visits Sacramento next, while Phoenix hosts Golden State. Follow TSE’s NBA coverage, NBA Hub, offseason title-race analysis and 2026-27 schedule guide for continuing coverage.
Official NBA sources
Game documentation: NBA game page, official box score and official play-by-play.
