Deni Avdija scored 26 points and added six assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) past the Golden State Warriors (2-1) 139-119 on Friday night.
The game marked Tiago Splitter’s first as interim head coach after Chauncey Billups was arrested Thursday and arraigned in federal court.
Jerami Grant contributed 22 points, Toumani Camara added 19, and Shaedon Sharpe scored 17 for the Trail Blazers. Donovan Clingan finished with 14 points, Kris Murray had 13, Jrue Holiday added 12 points and 11 assists, and Matisse Thybulle chipped in 10.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 35 points, while Jonathan Kuminga had 16, Jimmy Butler 14, and Draymond Green 12, but the Warriors could not match Portland’s dominance in the paint, losing 66-30 in that category.
The Warriors started fast with a 12-4 run, highlighted by an 8-0 streak from Curry, giving Golden State a 25-17 lead. Portland responded and tied the score at 28 by the end of the first quarter.
Avdija scored 20 points in the first half and Grant added 17, helping the Trail Blazers outscore Golden State 41-28 in the second quarter to take a 13-point halftime lead.
In the third, Curry’s four-point play brought the Warriors within nine, but Portland held firm and stretched its lead as the game progressed. Golden State pulled Curry from the game with 9:35 remaining while trailing 115-97.
The Trail Blazers shot 47% from three-point range, making 16 of 34, compared to Golden State’s 42%, but Portland’s superior play in the paint proved decisive.
Portland will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, while the Warriors host Memphis on Monday night.
