Morant and Lillard fuel Portland’s fast start, with third straight win to open the season

The Story

The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a strong start, extending their season-opening momentum to a third straight win while their Morant-and-Lillard backcourt continues to click.

Through the first three games, Morant and Lillard have combined to average 38 points and 10.3 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field, following expectations about whether their roles as ball-in-hand guards would mesh.

Portland’s early offensive production also appears spread across multiple initiators, with Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson included in a group that accounted for 89 points—65.4% of Portland’s scoring—in a season-opening performance noted with the league’s own graphic.

Coach Micah Nori said the fit has worked because both players want to win and have been willing to play selflessly. He described both Morant and Lillard as sharing the ball and focusing on playing the right way, adding that the key has been executing without forcing plays to specific players.

Lillard echoed that approach, saying the offence is set up so that when everyone does the right thing, “the ball is going to get where it’s supposed to go,” and that in games the Blazers trust the next play after attacking the defence. He also pointed to the recent matchup versus the Lakers as an example of how Portland didn’t rely on a single “All right, Dame” or “Ja” call—rather, the next action came from reading the defence.

Nori said the Blazers’ structure has required sacrifice, particularly from Lillard as he accepted more time operating off the ball than he had recently, while still using his ability to draw attention and create room for others.

Morant described his own adjustment as embracing the role of a point guard rather than feeling pressured to score at a set volume each night. He said the addition of Lillard helps reduce pressure on teammates such as Avdija by making it easier to generate looks, while also keeping Portland’s offence flexible.

The early fit has also included a change in how Morant attacks. The team’s early-season stretch has featured him making plays over defenders, including a stretch where he has shot 13-of-18 in the paint outside the restricted area (described as floater range).

Nori also said Avdija’s role has shifted from last season’s heavier ball-handling and creation out of necessity—often when dealing with injuries—to a set-up where Dame’s and Morant’s strengths help free Avdija to receive the ball in space and attack downhill against closeouts.

As Portland’s early progress continues, Nori credited the group’s buy-in, saying the players understand their roles and that the team’s willingness to compete and “want to win” has made it easier to execute.

So far, with Morant and Lillard averaging the combined production and creation the Blazers are relying on, Portland’s early pace has been driven by selfless play, shared responsibility, and adjustments across multiple roles on the floor.