'You See How We Want to Play': Trail Blazers Show Proof of Concept Despite Opening-Night Loss

📍PORTLAND, Ore. — This was the Trail Blazers' second straight opening-night loss at home. This one felt a little different than the last one.

That night a year ago, after being thoroughly outclassed by Golden State in a loss so lopsided the NBA retroactively added another point to the deficit a day later, Chauncey Billups said he "didn't think one guy on our team played well."

He was singing a different tune after Wednesday's 118-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game the Blazers controlled for the first three quarters before going cold shooting and committing a few costly turnovers down the stretch.

"We made them earn every single thing they got," Billups said. "I'm proud of us. I thought we played good enough to win. We lose one quarter of the game, obviously it was the most important quarter. A couple of tough plays late. But so many good things to take away from this game. You see how we want to play and who we want to be. I'm happy with the effort. I'm disappointed with the loss."

Billups wasn't alone. For a lot of reasons—good will from the end of last season, excitement about the arrival of Yang Hansen, the simple fact that the Blazers begin this season actually trying to win games—Wednesday's Moda Center crowd was the loudest it's been since before the pandemic, outside of Damian Lillard's first game with the Milwaukee Bucks in January of 2024.

For the first time in a long time, people are excited about this team. The Blazers showed why on Wednesday.

Also taking in the game was Tom Dundon, sitting baseline with Vulcan chair Jody Allen, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin and president of business operations Dewayne Hankins to watch the team he's about to pay $4.25 billion to own live in person for the first time. He had to be pleased with what he saw, too.