The Portland Trail Blazers are big on numbers in the 2025-26 season. Number of shots, rebounding numbers, points off of turnovers…Portland doesn’t feature NBA players as much as athletic accountants. But the most important number on Friday night wasn’t any of those. It was the number of the Golden State Warriors that the Blazers apparently have. Golden State didn’t let Portland run them out of the building as happened in the last meeting between these two teams, but a depleted, scrappy Blazers squad
still walked out of Oracle Arena with a 127-123 victory.
Steph Curry scored 38 points in a losing effort. Deni Avdija and a special mystery guest to be named later tied as Portland’s leading scorers with 26.
Here are some of the factors that affected the game.
Inside Play
The Blazers announced early that they were going to try to dominate this game inside. Deni Avdija took the helm at the top of the arc, getting half-picks from Donovan Clingan that both players abandoned in favor of quick dives into the lane. If Avdija had single coverage he converted the layup over shorter defenders. If the Warriors doubled him, he lobbed to Clingan. Either way, Donovan was settled in for the offensive rebound, an advantage which the Blazers would try to push all evening long.
Portland absolutely, clearly, and obviously wanted the interior to be their territory. They ended the game scoring 46 in the paint with a 21-9 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 28-10 advantage in second-chance points.
Fouls
One ancillary benefit of the drive-bump-rebound approach to offense was the Blazers drawing plenty of foul shots. They were angling for them–begging, even–most of the night. When the whistles blew their way, Portland had no trouble staying ahead on the scoreboard.
The Warriors had only 8 free throw attempts in the first half. They made up for it in the final two quarters, finishing the game with 30. Despite that, the Blazers outdid them with 32. It was a critical factor keeping Portland in the game.
Threes
The shadow side of this approach came when Clingan or Sidy Cissoko stood on the perimeter with the ball, toeing the three-point arc. At that point, the Warriors collapsed five defenders into the lane, inviting Portland to use all 24 seconds of the clock lining up that shot if they wished. No matter how open the shot, the Blazers had trouble hitting them.
As the game went along, though, the Blazers warmed up. Toumani Camara went 4-6, fellow starter Sidy Cissoko 3-7.
When the smoke cleared, Portland shot 16-45 from the arc on the night. Golden State went 17-43. Is it pretty? Nope. Is it effective? Apparently.
Controlling Pace
The game followed a semi-predictable pattern.
In the first period when Portland’s bigs were fresh and Golden State was undersized, the Blazers had no problem leveraging close buckets and getting back on “D”.
Beginning in the second quarter and continuing onward, Golden State began quickening the game, forcing turnovers and running, spreading out Portland’s defense with threes and making the game about mobility. At that point, the Blazers had a choice. They could go small, try to cover the floor defensively, but give up the edge inside that they were trying to develop. Or they could stick with the bigs, watch them get progressively more flat-footed, and enjoy Golden State lofting threes over their heads.
When the Blazers kept the action inside, rebounded hard, and forced Golden State to rotate and foul, they did well. When the Warriors opened the floor, Portland just couldn’t keep up. The first period went Portland’s way, the second to Golden State. The Warriors picked it up at the opening of the third period but in the transition between the third and fourth, Portland rediscovered their driving, bumping, and rebounding mojo. Crucially, they kept it late, executing in the halfcourt when they got stalled on the run, driving and then dishing for threes, and grinding out the continual stream of offensive rebounds. In the end, Portland played just a little stronger than Golden State could shoot.
Turnovers
The Blazers almost gave the game back, giving up 21 turnovers, forcing only 14 from Golden State. If they had lost, we’d be shaking our heads about this. Portland coughing up the ball added to the Warriors’ attempted speed takeover. Only when the Blazers rectified the situation late did they give themselves a solid chance to win.
Deni Avdija
Central to Portland’s success was small forward point guard lane attacker three-point striker Deni Avdija. With his team decimated by injuries, Avdija’s having to do everything for the Blazers: initiating offense, finishing offense, and setting up teammates. Avdija provided 26 points, 12 of 13 free throws made, 14 assists, and 6 rebounds. He also had 6 turnovers but those were well eclipsed by the dimes. For a non-point-guard, Avdija sure looked point-guardy tonight.
Caleb Love
Don’t look now but Caleb Love had a huge scoring game off the bench, putting in 26 points on 9-20 shooting. When the Warriors tried the same “cheating back off the arc” against Love that they had used against Portland’s big men, Love made them pay, hitting 6-14 beyond the arc. Love also got the closing minutes in the fourth quarter, hitting crucial buckets to secure the win. It was a big vote of confidence in him from Head Coach Tiago Splitter. Love responded well.
It might actually be good for Love that the Blazers don’t have a ton of depth or options right now. It salves the conscience for shooter/scorers. If they don’t take the attempt, nobody will. That green light does Love a world of good.
Love;s defense though, and most of the deep bench? Don’t ask.
Super Clingan, Hello RWIII
We’ll finish this recap the same place we started it, with Portland’s bigs.
Donovan Clingan looked pretty decent being featured in the offense. He scored 22 points in 27 minutes on 9-14 shooting, a few of those coming from Avdija lobs. Clingan added 10 rebounds, 5 offensive.
Clingan appeared to turn his ankle in the third period. Robert Williams III stepped into the gap, particularly in crunch time. Williams posted 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in 21 minutes of play. The Blazers needed his defense late and they got it.
Up Next
The Blazers will travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Sunday with a 4:00 PM, Pacific start time.
