LAS VEGAS -- After going undefeated on their way to winning last year’s Las Vegas Summer League tournament, the Portland Trail Blazers started their 2019 campaign in the desert with a 93-73 loss to the Detroit Pistons Saturday afternoon at Thomas & Mack Arena on the campus of UNLV.
“It was tough, very tough,” said Trail Blazers assistant coach Jim Moran. “I was a little disappointed, we had a really good week of practice and that game did not resemble what we did all week. So it was a little frustrating.”
The Trail Blazers found themselves down by as many as 16 in the first half thanks to Detroit’s accuracy from long range and Portland’s inability to play much of anything resembling NBA-caliber defense in the early going.