Trail Blazers coach Billups says young players are exploring things they've never tried before

After goals from Deni Avdija, Scooter Henderson and Toumani Kamara, the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-118 in the new game of the 2024/25 NBA regular season. Although they failed to keep their winning streak, coach Billups said that the team's young forwards began to understand how to cooperate with each other, and he was comforted by their attitude of exploring something they had never tried before.

In the first quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers gradually caught up with the lead at 27-27. In the second quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder launched a highly efficient offensive and established a double-digit lead, while Isaiah Joe also contributed 11 points to help the team lead the Portland Trail Blazers 66-53.

In the third quarter, Tumani Kamara contributed 11 points to the Portland Trail Blazers in a fierce struggle, but the Portland Trail Blazers were still behind 78 to 93. In the fourth quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers continued to fight back, including Scooter Henderson scoring 14 points, but the Oklahoma City Thunder's offense still produced results.

In the end, the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-118 at home and failed to maintain their winning streak.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Billups said, "These players are starting to learn how to cooperate with each other and how to cooperate with other teammates on the court. They are all very young players, and I think they are exploring some things that they have not tried before."

"Toumani Kamara always tries to stop the opponent from scoring, or limit their chances of touching the ball, or even make it difficult for them to run tactics. He does not just aim to stabilize the defense, but strives to have an impact on the game and disrupt the opponent's rhythm."

In addition, Deni Avdija contributed 28 points and 8 assists for the Portland Trail Blazers in this game and performed well.

Billups said, "In the Washington Wizards, Deni Avdija's offense mainly came from open shots from the outside or direct shots after receiving the ball. But here, we ask him to attack the basket more and take on organizational tasks."

"When players rush in, most defenses lose discipline, which allows players to create more offensive opportunities. This is the meaning of exploration and development, and we gradually discovered some potential."

In addition, Tumani Camara said in an interview, "I felt that I was easily broken through by my opponent in one-on-one defense, which is a part I care about very much. Although I am still working hard, my footwork is not as good as it should be, which makes me very frustrated. Defense is the key to building tacit understanding between players and the team, and communication and hard work are really important."