The Portland Trail Blazers came oh so close to their first win of the 2024-25 season tonight, dominating the New Orleans Pelicans for three quarters before slipping behind in the fourth, only to lose 105-103. Jerami Grant put on a strong performance with 34 points on 8-17 three-point shooting. Anfernee Simons scored 24 but couldn’t convert on back-to-back possessions down the stretch to save the game. Jordan Hawkins led the Pelicans with 24 off the bench, many of which came in the decisive fourth quarter.
Despite the loss, Portland demonstrated many admirable qualities in the game.