Damian Lillard Returns With 25 as Blazers Rout Suns 124-83

Damian Lillard is back in a Trail Blazers uniform for real, and he made it look like he never left, scoring 25 points with six 3-pointers in Portland's 124-83 season-opening blowout of the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. It was his first regular-season game since rejoining the Blazers, as reported by ESPN and the AP.

Lillard spent his first 11 seasons in Portland, played two with Milwaukee, then signed a three-year, $42 million deal to come home in July 2025. He spent last season rehabbing the torn Achilles tendon he suffered with the Bucks, so Wednesday was the first time Moda Center got to see him play for them again. The crowd gave him an extended standing ovation when he addressed fans before the game.

A 21-0 start that felt like a party

The Blazers opened on a 21-0 run behind 3-pointers from Lillard, Ja Morant, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, and the Suns did not score until free throws with 5:54 left in the first quarter. Lillard hit back-to-back 3s to make it 38-8, and Portland led 72-39 at halftime. The lead got as big as 52. Blazers fans who stuck around through the rebuild got a first half they will be replaying for a while.

Lillard finished 7-of-12 from the field, 6-of-10 from deep and 5-of-5 at the line with six assists in 24 minutes. "I did feel good, but you know I've felt good for months now, and I've been saying that," he said. "But I think there's probably some people that might have been skeptical because they hadn't seen me."

"It was a lot of love. The fans showed a lot of love," Lillard said. "I think it's no secret the relationship between myself and our fans and the city of Portland."

Morant's debut and a deep supporting cast

Morant, acquired from Memphis in the deal that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Grizzlies, had 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting with eight assists and three steals in his Blazers debut. "The guy hasn't played in 18 months, and he comes out and delivered the way he did for us," Morant said of Lillard. "Special, man."

Toumani Camara added 18, and Avdija, a game-time decision with a right ankle injury, started and posted 18 points and 10 rebounds. Coach Micah Nori, in his first game after coming over from Minnesota's bench, pulled his starters early in the fourth. If you were watching the Lillard and Morant backcourt, it was hard not to get excited about what this group could be.

Rough night for Phoenix

Devin Booker, starting his 12th season with the Suns, scored 23, including 9-of-9 at the line, but Phoenix shot 36% from the field and 6-of-31 from deep. Suns fans will want to forget the first six minutes entirely.

Portland visits Sacramento on Friday. Phoenix hosts Golden State on Saturday.

Smacktok pick: lean on Lillard's 3-point volume at Sacramento on Friday. He made six of his 10 attempts in just 24 minutes on Wednesday, and he sat early in the fourth with the game long decided.