Portland Trail Blazers rout Phoenix Suns 124-83: Damian Lillard scores 25 in his return as Portland opens on a 21-0 run

Damian Lillard scored 25 points in his first regular-season game since March 18, 2025, and the Portland Trail Blazers opened with a 21-0 run and never trailed in a 124-83 rout of the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on Wednesday, October 21. Ja Morant had 14 points, 8 assists and 3 steals in his first game for Portland, and the Blazers led by as many as 52.

Lillard went 7-of-12 from the field, 6-of-10 from three and 5-of-5 at the line, with 6 assists in 24 minutes, and he scored 12 points in the first quarter. Morant made 6 of his 8 shots and was plus-33. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 23 points.

DAME TO JA 🔥

Lillard: 22 PTS, 5 AST, 5 3PM
Morant: 14 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL

Blazers lead in Q3! pic.twitter.com/3788qK0WGD

— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2026

Video: NBA / X.

How it turned

Donovan Clingan opened the game with a three, and after a Deni Avdija jumper, Morant, Avdija and Lillard hit threes as Portland took a 14-0 lead in the first 3:18. Booker and Morant were each given a technical foul with 6:36 left in the first, and Phoenix did not score until Booker made two free throws at 21-0 with 5:54 left. Lillard hit threes from 25 and 29 feet in a 16-second span late in the quarter, Scoot Henderson added one with 6.9 seconds left, and the Blazers led 43-12 after one.

Jalen Green hit two threes early in the second to cut it to 45-22, but Toumani Camara scored 11 points in the quarter, nine of them on threes, and Portland led 72-39 at halftime. Avdija scored 7 points in the first three minutes of the third, Lillard’s step-back three with 40.9 seconds left made it 107-66, and Yang Hansen’s 25-foot bank shot made it 122-70 with 3:38 to play, the biggest lead of the night.

You already knew the result when Dame started sizing em up pic.twitter.com/6qsp0neYPo

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

The numbers

Portland made 19 of 47 threes, handed out 32 assists on 45 baskets and outrebounded Phoenix 56-39, with 16 offensive rebounds. Camara scored 18 on 4-of-7 shooting from three, Avdija had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Henderson scored 15 off the bench, and Clingan added 11 points and 7 rebounds. Jrue Holiday scored 8 and was plus-32 off the bench, and Robert Williams III grabbed 10 rebounds in 15 minutes.

Phoenix’s side

The Suns shot 36 percent from the field and 6-of-31 from three. Booker made 7 of 13 shots and all 9 of his free throws, scoring 13 in the third quarter, but was minus-43. Green scored 10 on 4-of-12 shooting, Dillon Brooks had 10, and Miles Bridges scored 8 on 3-of-11 and was called for a flagrant 1 foul in the second quarter. Collin Gillespie missed all eight of his shots, all from three. Phoenix played without Mark Williams (shoulder) and Luke Kennard (knee), and Portland was without Shaedon Sharpe (knee).

What’s next

The Trail Blazers visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday, October 23 (10 p.m. ET, 5 a.m. Saturday Cairo time). The Suns host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, October 24 (10 p.m. ET, 5 a.m. Sunday Cairo time).

Full box score and play-by-play: Game Center. All-time head-to-head. Before the game: Lillard on why he sat out all of last season.