Damian Lillard after his Portland return: ‘We checked every box,’ and Ja Morant calls it ‘special’

Damian Lillard did not need the fourth quarter on Wednesday night, and he said that was the point. “It was a great way to start, you know, this chapter for our team,” Lillard said after the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Phoenix Suns 124-83 in his first game back at Moda Center.

“Everything that our coaches have been preaching for the last month or two, everything we talked about on film, the tendencies, what they wanted to do, we came out on point on defense, and that allowed us to get out and run offensively,” he said. “We shared the ball, we played together, and, you know, our minds was right tonight. And that’s how we was able to jump out, and it wasn’t necessary for us to be out there in the fourth.”

Lillard scored a game-high 25 points in 24 minutes, going 7-of-12 from the field, 6-of-10 from three and 5-of-5 at the line, with 6 assists. He had 12 points and four threes in the first quarter, Portland opened on a 21-0 run and led 43-12 after one, and the lead reached 52 late in the fourth. It was his first game since he tore his left Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs with Milwaukee, and he sat out all of last season after returning to Portland.

Dame dropped some gems in his postgame interview with @brookeolzendam

Brought to you by @brightsidewindo pic.twitter.com/K0q4oVCa4i

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 22, 2026

The video above was posted by the Trail Blazers.

‘We checked every box’

Asked by Blazers broadcaster Brooke Olzendam how he felt physically, Lillard turned the answer into a thank-you, naming one by one the people who put in “late nights, early mornings” with him during his rehab.

“Everybody that took the time, when I was trying to be here before practice, 6 a.m., you know, whatever the case may be, we did the work. You know, the preparation was there,” he said. “So once it came time to do what I’ve always done, it was just a matter of if my body would be there for me, and we checked every box, and I was ready to go. So I felt great, and I just did what I do.”

It echoed what he said before the game, when he explained that he skipped a late-season return last spring because he wanted to “check every box” first.

He admitted the night carried some nerves. “That first one is always, you know, a little bit stressful. You want to start the season off right, especially when you get a home game,” he said. “You felt the energy in the building, you know, you see the T-shirts on every seat when we came in. The crowd was into it. Being in the locker room again, knowing I’m preparing to play, that excitement, that focus. Our team was ready and I could tell, and I’m happy we was able to come out and execute the way that we did and get a win.”

Old teammates in the building

Two of his former Portland teammates, Evan Turner and Myers Leonard, were at the game, and the crowd showed them some love during the game.

“Man, I love Myers. I love E.T. Both guys are true friends of mine, not just former teammates,” Lillard said. “So for them to come out and support, I think that speaks to the kind of culture that we’ve had over all the years in Portland, that we actually had real bonds. We care about each other, and they’re part of the family. So to see them come out and show support, that means a lot to me.”

Before tip-off, Lillard spoke to the crowd. “In a long season like it is, we know how important it is to take care of our home floor,” he told the crowd. “We’re going to need you guys every game, and make this an advantage when teams come in here.”

Morant: ‘Special, man’

Ja Morant, who had 14 points, 8 assists and 3 steals and was plus-33 in his own Portland debut, said the reaction to Lillard started before the ball went up.

"A guy hasn't played in 18 months, and he come out and delivered the way he did for us" pic.twitter.com/yXsprY31oV

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 22, 2026

The video above was also posted by the Trail Blazers.

“When he walked out for the little speech and you just heard how loud the gym got, and me and D.C. was talking, we felt like we were probably into it as well,” Morant said, referring to Donovan Clingan. “It’s crazy. Obviously, I feel like that’s the most mind-blowing thing for me today. A guy hasn’t played in 18 months, and he come out and delivered the way he did for us. Special, man.”

Phoenix shot 36 percent and went 6-of-31 from three, and Devin Booker led the Suns with 23. Portland plays its first road game on Friday at the Sacramento Kings, at 10 p.m. ET, which is 5 a.m. Saturday in Cairo.