Portland Trail Blazers: 3 things to watch for in 2017-18 season opener

2. Fallout from Swanigan and Len altercation

The NBA is a brotherhood and sports are competitive; just as it’s not surprising to see two brothers fight, it’s not at all surprising to see two professional athletes be involved in a physical, combative altercation.

Such was the case last Wednesday when Portland Trail Blazers big man Caleb Swanigan clashed with Phoenix Suns center Alex Len, and it was all because Len didn’t appreciate Swanigan being so physical while fighting for a rebound. Both players received technicals and were subsequently ejected.

It’ll be interesting to see whether there’s some fallout between Swanigan and Len and — by extension — their respective teammates. The Blazers beat the Suns 113-104 in that game and pushed their 2017 preseason record against Phoenix to 1-1, so the Suns will definitely be looking for some payback when they host the Blazers for opening night at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.