The Portland Trail Blazers couldn't have had a better season opener. After starting their matchup against the Phoenix Suns with a 43-12 first quarter, they won 124-83. Damian Lillard returned to the roster, scoring 25 points, hitting six three-pointers, and adding six assists, three rebounds, and one steal.
Damian Lillard on Ja Morant's Blazers debut in 124-83 win over Suns: "You have that type of gift, it's not about does the game fit and all of those things. When the personality is right, and he's been embraced by our team, we all get along well, I think he feels comfortable doing… pic.twitter.com/DLLMkpSpTO
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 22, 2026
But Ja Morant was also effective in his Trail Blazers debut. He finished the game with 14 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
Damian Lillard praised Morant's approach to the game last night during post-game media availability.
“You have that type of gift. It's not about whether the game fits and all of those things. When the personality is right and he's been embraced by our team, we all get along well. I think he feels comfortable doing what he needs to do for this team and being who he needs to be for this team, and the same goes for me. I thought it was really good tonight, but it's just one game. We got to wake up tomorrow and look for that next challenge and move on.”
Article Continues BelowMorant also weighed in on the stellar start to the season in post-game comments.
“You only get one chance at a first impression, and that was our message to each other before we ran out of the tunnel: to make sure we leave a good message and start off on the right foot. Obviously the starters, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to start the game right for the team, so for us to be able to do that and execute on both ends was big time.”
The Trail Blazers look to continue their momentum as they face off against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.