The Portland Trail Blazers started the season right with a 124-76 rout of the Phoenix Suns. What are a few takeaways from the epic win?
After facing off twice in the preseason, the Portland Trail Blazers kicked off the 2017-18 season by playing the Phoenix Suns for the third time in 16 days. A shellacking ensued as the Blazers cruised to a 124-76 victory on Wednesday night. Their 48-point win was the largest season-opening margin of victory in NBA history.
The Blazers won despite not having their second-best player. The NBA suspended starting shooting guard C.J. McCollum for the season opener due to an incident that occurred during the preseason. In an Oct. 13 matchup between these same two teams, McCollum took a few steps off from the bench during an altercation between Caleb Swanigan and Alex Len.
Though he didn’t get involved in the fight, the NBA is strongly opposed to players leaving the bench during these kinds of situations, fearing that off-court intervention would only make things worse. However, the punishment handed down by the league does feel a bit excessive when contrasted with the events that unfolded.
McCollum traveled with the team, but had to leave Talking Stick Resort Arena two hours before game time. His father, however, chose to take in the game live, even without his son on the court.
Even though @CJMcCollum can't be in the arena, his dad is still attending the game. Said he shouldn't be punished for CJ's mistake.
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) October 18, 2017
Mr. McCollum witnessed a well-rounded effort by the Trail Blazers. Six players finished with double-digit scoring. Seven of them shot 50 percent or better from the field. Damian Lillard led all scorers with 27 points. He also added five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks to his ledger.
Jusuf Nurkic finished the night with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. However, he struggled from the field, going 2-for-7 on the night. He earned most of his points at the free throw line, shooting 7-for-10.
The Blazers outscored the Suns 69-34 in the second and third quarters. They led by as many as 58 in this game. There were plenty of positives to glean from this win, but here are three specific things to take away from Portland’s season opener.