The Trail Blazers lose a close game in front of enthusiastic NBA fans in Seattle

SEATTLE – The Portland Trail Blazers played their first preseason game at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night, losing 101-99 to the LA Clippers.

The winning basket for the Clippers came on an alley-oop dunk by Kai Jones after a pass from Jordan Miller with 2.2 seconds left. Blazers guard Dalana Banton missed a three-point attempt as time expired.

The exciting ending contributed to an atmosphere that was more like a playoff game. Many Seattle sports legends were in attendance to welcome the NBA back to Seattle, if only for one night – for now.

Former Supersonics legends Sean Kemp, Gary Payton and Jamal Crawford were there. This also applies to a handful of famous former Seahawks, including coach Pete Carroll. Former Blazers star Brandon Roy of Seattle was also in attendance.

They were all there to watch the Blazers take on the LA Clippers. One team doesn’t have high hopes for the coming season, while the other could enter the playoffs.

For the Blazers, this evening was about testing what they’ve been working on in training camp. Rebounding and speed were at the top of the list.

The play of second-year guard Scoot Henderson and rookie center Donovan Clingan will also be important throughout the season.

Henderson looked a lot like the player he was for most of last season, when he struggled after being selected No. 3 in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Henderson had two turnovers in the first minute of the game and finished the night with seven turnovers in 30 minutes. He then scored 13 points by shooting 4 of 16 from the field and 1 of 6 on three-pointers. Henderson also added three assists and three rebounds.

Rookie center Donovan Clingan made his first shot, a three-pointer in the first minute. He finished the game with seven points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He assisted Deandre Ayton, who scored eight points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes.

Jerami Grant scored 15 points in just 16 minutes. Toumani Camara led the Blazers with 19 points. He shot 5 of 9 from the field and added nine rebounds.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Blazes had Shaedon Sharpe (shoulder) and Anfernee Simons (ankle soreness) on the ground. That’s a lot of offensive firepower to play without. Striker Deni Avdija was also missing for personal reasons.

The fact that the Blazers had a chance to win says a lot about the rest of the roster.

Kris Murray started at guard and delivered nine points on 4 of 7 shooting.

Pacemaker

The Blazers want to play faster this season than they did in 2023-24, when they ranked 21st with 97.9 possessions per 48 minutes. On Friday, the Blazers had a pace of 102.2.

Next

The Blazers play their second preseason game on Sunday at the Sacramento Kings at 3 p.m.

— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)