After a week of training camp, the Portland Trail Blazers started off their four-game preseason schedule with a 121-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors Monday night at Moda Center.
Monday’s game had the typical highs and lows that come with a first preseason contest, especially one featuring a first-time head coach and six players getting their first minutes in a Portland uniform.
The good? Both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 31 points on 18 shots, even with neither playing in the second half. A slimmed down Jusuf Nurkic put up a double-double while also going a nice job of playmaking in limited time and Anfernee Simons showed a level of comfort and expertise at backup point guard that had not been seen during his first three seasons in Portland.