Blazers Crush Warriors in Summer League Opener

Las Vegas, NV – The Portland Trail Blazers dominated the Golden State Warriors with a score of 106-73 on Friday night in their Summer League opener. The game took place at the Thomas & Mack Center, showcasing the skills of rookie center Yang Hansen, who was the 16th pick in the NBA Draft.

Quickly making his mark, Hansen delivered two standout assists within the first four minutes. One saw him bounce a pass from the three-point line to Sidy Cissoko for an emphatic dunk, while the other assisted D.J. Carton for an easy layup. In addition to his playmaking, Hansen finished the game with 10 points, five assists, four rebounds, three blocked shots, and one steal.

Yang, who shot 3 of 7 from the floor, including a banked three-pointer, demonstrated impressive toughness on defense, committing six fouls—though a player must reach 20 to foul out in Summer League.

The Blazers’ offensive efforts were led by last year’s second-round pick, Rayan Rupert, who scored 23 points on a 5-of-8 shooting performance. Rupert was also effective from the free-throw line, sinking all 11 attempts and contributed nine rebounds and four assists.

Another bright spot for Portland was Caleb Love, who signed a two-way contract after going undrafted. Love added 18 points with six rebounds, showing improvement in his shooting by hitting 4 of 7 from three-point range.

In terms of strategy, Blazers coach Ronnie Burrell started veteran guard James Bouknight alongside Love, while Hansen was tapped to start at center. Rupert and Cissoko rounded out the forward positions.

The first quarter saw the Blazers jump to a commanding 35-13 lead, fueled by a 57.9% shooting performance. While the Warriors managed to outscore Portland 27-19 in the second quarter, they fell behind again as the Blazers imposed their will in the third quarter, dominating 27-12.

Despite struggles, the Warriors managed to see decent contributions from Will Richard and Jackson Rowe, who each netted 12 points. Overall, Golden State shot just 32.9% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc.

Looking ahead, the Blazers will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at 7 p.m. as they continue their quest for Summer League success.