The Portland Trail Blazers picked up another victory in the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League Tuesday, holding on late to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 93-87. Portland improved its record to 2-1 within the tournament, yet still remains a longshot to advance to the playoffs bracket.
Here are some key takeaways:
Yang Finds His Stroke
With a couple days of rest, Yang Hansen had a better fit within the flow of the game compared to Saturday’s contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, where he looked tired and at times a step slow.
It was easily Yang’s best three-point display of Summer League so far (3-6) and he was active defensively with 2 blocks on his way to 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 27 minutes of action.
Although he struggled to convert on 1-on-1 opportunities in the post, Hansen continued to demonstrate some of the same creativity and versatility that has made him one of the early stars of Summer League. He only connected on a couple of dimes, a few passes were just a bit too ambitious and a few others his teammates just weren’t able to convert.
Overall, Yang provided more for fans to be encouraged about, while showing there is still some roughness around the edges - as to be expected.
Rupert Bounces Back
After finding himself in the dumps for much of the Grizzlies game, Rayan Rupert bounced back with a determined effort at both ends, leading all scorers with 24 points and wreaking havoc with full-court defense. He was lights-out from deep, knocking down 4-6 treys and finishing an almost unbelievable +28 in a game Portland only won by 6 points.
The team also got a boost from third-year guard D.J. Carton, who was about the only productive player coming off of the bench. He served as a somewhat stabilizing counterpart to the more frantic Sidy Cissoko and and turned in a solid 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to go along with 3 steals. He should get a job somewhere.
Prime Time Talent
Of the Blazers’ four scheduled games in Las Vegas, the matchup with New Orleans had the most intrigue just due to the presence of the dual lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, picked 7th and 13th overall, respectively. The Pelicans paid top dollar to do so - coughing up an unprotected first-rounder in 2026 to the Atlanta Hawks to move up from the 23 to 13 - so there’s a lot of pressure for them to get this right.
Neither disappointed. Queen proved to be a powerful interior threat, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, at times outmuscling Yang in the paint. Fears was cautiously selective about turning on the jets, but when he did his quickness and athleticism were clearly present.
Moving Forward
The Blazers will get another couple days off before taking on the Houston Rockets Thursday evening at 5:00 PM, Pacific.
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