The Portland Trail Blazers came so close to their first win of the 2024-25 season tonight, dominating the New Orleans Pelicans for three quarters before falling behind in the fourth quarter and then losing 105-103. Jerami Grant had a strong performance with 34 points on 8:17 three-point shots. Anfernee Simons scored 24 goals but was unable to save the game on back-to-back possessions. Jordan Hawkins led the Pelicans with 24 appearances off the bench, many of them in the crucial fourth quarter.

Despite the loss, Portland showed many admirable qualities in the game. Among them were the following.

Controlled pace

After losing a spurt to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, the Blazers did what they had to do tonight: They took advantage of every possession, but slowed down and established the half-court offense when the break points weren’t available. They’ve gotten rid of the bad quick shots that plagued them two days ago. Instead, they penetrated and cut, occasionally adding a pick-and-roll or off-ball cutting action. They had great success finding shooters on the weak side. It was actually kind of chic and beautiful? I’m not sure these words have been used to describe Portland’s offense since the Terry Stotts/Damian Lillard era.

The Blazers shot 41.1% from the field, 35.5% from the three-point arc with 12 fast break points and a 42-30 advantage in the paint. Those are modest numbers by NBA standards, but Portland will take them and compete wisely.

Jeremiah Grant

No one benefited more from halfcourt passing than Jerami Grant, who enjoyed three-pointers peppered with occasional drives. His shot was quick and decisive. One of the standout features of this new season is that Grant is a real No. 1 goal-scoring prospect. It is like a good wine that has reached its best years.

For anyone who yells at the Blazers’ coaching staff, that’s perfectly fine most nights. But putting Grant on the weak side was a stroke of genius against the large, fairly slow and overly pursuing Pelicans. Your guards are not a defensive threat. As soon as Grant caught him, the shot was all but sunk, the drive open. This wouldn’t have happened if JG had taken his usual spot on the strong side of the field. Nice move against this opponent.

Draw fouls

Three points weren’t the only way the Blazers made a name for themselves on the scoresheet. Penetration led to foul shots, the secret recipe for Portland’s offensive Big Mac. The Blazers shot 80% from the charity stripe, with Anfernee Simons making 11 foul shots and scoring 10. It cannot be overstated how free throws transform a rather boring offensive attack into a decent attack.

Forced sales

The Pelicans, who played big and thrived in isolation, let Portland’s defense compete against them. Portland’s size was enough to counter its opponents. Her faster hands and feet showed up when she forced turnovers. The Blazers helped the Pels commit 19 errors. This reduced New Orleans’ chances of scoring, a huge advantage. At halftime, Portland had scored just 47 points (about a quarter of the Boston Celtics’ production). But New Orleans only had 37, in part because Portland limited its options. In that respect, it was a dream half, just as the coaches thought it would be. It’s a shame it couldn’t last all 48.

Simons is recovering

In the second half, the role of low scorer Jerami Grant was played by Anfernee Simons, who passed the ball in open space to create three-pointers and layups. He looked like one bona fide Big deal in the third period. Once he got going, he took over ball handling, drawing Pelican defenders to him like flies and then distributing the ball to his teammates. Things cooled down a bit, however, when Simons pitted everyone one-on-one. He was also tied up on the penultimate play of the game and hit cleanly as he attempted to score the equalizer at the buzzer, with both attempts failing by penetration. It’s still a work in progress.

Simons finished the game with 24 points, 7 assists and 4 turnovers, but shot just 6-20 from the field and 2-9 from beyond the arc.

Annoying Scoot

Scoot Henderson came off the bench with 3 steals, 6 assists and 15 points on 7-9 shooting. He was a problem on defense all night, a stark contrast to Game 1. His confidence seems to be sky-high right now. He also did an impressive job (for him) of getting the ball to his teammates at the rim and inside the arc. With several lobs up the middle, Henderson was a valuable player and passer tonight, not just an outstanding scorer. This is a welcome sight in Portland.

Ayton on the edge

Deandre Ayton didn’t have an outstanding game, scoring 10 points with 15 rebounds and 2 blocks. But his rim attack in the half court, aided in part by Henderson, was exciting to watch. Ayton finished the game confidently with lobs and offensive rebounds. If Portland can get Ayton 3-4 super easy shots per game, his score could go up to 20 without too much trouble. An aggressive Ayton would help turn the Blazers offense into true meanness.

However, Ayton was less successful from beyond three feet, particularly in the fourth quarter. The Blazers’ halfcourt offense really needs him.

Toumani Camara defense

Toumani Camara came out of the gate ready to defend and continued throughout the game. It’s almost frightening how easily he stays in front of his man and puts him on his feet during penetration. (Deni Avdija has similar skills, by the way.) Camara’s only problem is fouling, but honestly that seems to be both because he’s relatively unknown in the league and because of the hacks on Toumani’s part. If he were Draymond Green, he would have three fewer fouls and three more forced turnovers. If he keeps the big “D,” that day could come.

Clingan the Stopper

Donovan Clingan is not yet the ideal center for every situation, but he shines in some situations. New Orleans brought a bevy of big men with the single-minded goal of getting to the rim one-on-one. That put the bigger, slower players right into Clingan’s wheelhouse. And no matter how tall you are, Donovan is taller. He racked up four blocked shots and forced three or four times as many misses, all through his little… er, big… self. If you freeze a picture of Clingan next to other NBA players, you’ll see how massive he is. If the opponent doesn’t force him to move, his size and natural defensive instincts will pay off. DC did a great job tonight.

Fourth Quarter Follies

All of this happened in the first three periods of the game. The Blazers slowed down a bit in the fourth quarter. They were slower to come back on defense. Their half-court offense lost some of its aggressiveness. Grant and Ayton missed open shots they had hit earlier, and Simons couldn’t save them. Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins, who played like Steph Curry wasn’t helping. New Orleans beat Portland 30-19 in the final frame. That was just enough to secure victory.

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Box score

The Blazers face the same Pelicans on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in the Pacific.