Game Recap: Trail Blazers 85, Pelicans 68
Trendon Watford’s 17-point, 11-rebound double-double and a trio of solid complementary efforts helped lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a comfortable 85-68 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA 2K23 Summer League on Saturday night at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The Pelicans (0-1) were impressive on both ends of the floor during their initial quarter of action in the desert, forging a 19-14 lead through the first 10 minutes. However, that seemed to be a wake-up call for the Trail Blazers (1-1), who proceeded to outscore New Orleans by a 54-26 margin over the middle periods to put the game away. Portland limited the Pelicans to an abysmal 27.5 percent shooting, including 12.9 percent from behind the arc.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 23 points, adding eight rebounds, one assist and four steals. Jared Harper was the only other double-digit scorer for New Orleans, furnishing 18 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block. Naji Marshall delivered nine points, six assists, five rebounds and one steal.
The Trail Blazers’ Watford’s team-leading double-double also included five assists. Brandon Williams supplied 14 points, three assists, two rebounds and one block. Keon Johnson and Jabari Walker generated matching 12-point, five-rebound, two-assist tallies, with Johnson also recording two steals.
The two teams return to the floor Monday, with the Pelicans facing the Atlanta Hawks in an evening matchup and the Trail Blazers closing out the night’s ledger against the New York Knicks.
