Deni Avdija scored 26 points and the Portland Trail Blazers earned their first win of the season Friday night, beating the Golden State Warriors 139–119 in their first game since head coach Chauncey Billups was suspended amid a gambling scandal.
Tiago Splitter, promoted to interim head coach, picked up the victory in his debut on the sidelines.
Avdija, who started at forward, shot 11 of 18 from the field and made 4 of 6 from 3-point range after missing all of his long-range attempts in Portland’s loss to Minnesota. He added six assists and five rebounds in 29 minutes and sat most of the fourth quarter, which was largely garbage time.
The teams were tied 28–28 after one quarter before the Blazers took control in the second, with Avdija closing the half by hitting a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. Golden State, which came in 2–0, looked weary after playing the night before in Denver. Coach Steve Kerr emptied his bench in the final period.
Jerami Grant added 22 points off the bench for Portland, which had eight players score in double figures. Toumani Camara finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, Shaedon Sharpe scored 17, and Jrue Holiday recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 35 points, hitting seven of his 14 3-point attempts. Jonathan Kuminga had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Jimmy Butler scored 14.
After two home games, Portland will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets fell to 0–2 on the season after losing 131–124 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their home opener Friday night.
Ben Saraf, starting for the second straight game, finished with two points on 1-for-2 shooting in 18 minutes, along with one assist and three turnovers. Deni Wolf, still recovering from an ankle injury, did not play.
Cleveland built a double-digit lead in the first quarter, up 34–23, and extended it to 108–86 by the end of the third. Brooklyn trimmed the deficit in the fourth, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 35 points. Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each scored 22. Cam Thomas had 33 points and nine assists for the Nets, while Michael Porter Jr. added 31 points and eight rebounds, and Ziaire Williams scored 25.
Brooklyn will face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.