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Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and a scene the Trail Blazers hope defines their season

The Trail Blazers want to be selfless. That starts with Portland's star guards.

The Athletic

Published: Saturday, 24 October 2026 at 11:37 AM

Key Things to Know

Damian Lillard and Ja Morant embraced fourth-quarter defensive benchings to help Portland beat Sacramento 128-120.
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings with a final score of 128-120 on Friday night.
Blazers coach Micah Nori subbed out Lillard and Morant for defensive players with 28.3 seconds left.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Portland Trail Blazers stars Damian Lillard and Ja Morant embraced being benched for defensive substitutes in the final minute of Friday's 128-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Head coach Micah Nori substituted Donovan Clingan and Sidy Cissoko in place of the star backcourt with 28.3 seconds remaining to secure defensive stops, a move both All-Stars publicly accepted and celebrated.

Deni Avdija led Portland with 26 points, while Toumani Camara added 19 points and earned the team's defensive award. Robert Williams III contributed 13 points off the bench on perfect shooting, helping Portland move to a 2-0 record on the season despite early foul trouble for starting center Clingan.

Read the full article on The Athletic

Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and a scene the Trail Blazers hope defines their season

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