'Tale of Two Halves' For Trail Blazers In Summer League Opener

Can Portland boucne back next time?

The Portland Trail Blazers began Summer League this past weekend, falling to the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 83-77. While the Trail Blazers lost, there were some positives in the game.

Rookie center Donovan Clingan looked good, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking five shots. He didn't shoot well from the field, going 1-for-8, and scoring just four points.

Portland fought back in the game after trailing by 20 at halftime. Summer League head coach Jonah Herscu broke down what happened in the game.

“I thought a tale of two halves,” Blazers summer league coach Jonah Herscu told reporters following the game. “I thought we came out; they were the aggressor in the first half. I thought we’ve started to play in the right way in the third quarter.”

The Trail Blazers outscored San Antonio 46-32 in the second half but it wasn't enough to get the win. But the team can take this second-half performance and put it toward the next game.

Rayan Rupert added 13 points, 11 coming in the second half. He also grabbed six rebounds and five assists in the game. Kris Murray scored nine for the team, with two assists and two rebounds.

“I think we fought our way back,” Herscu said. “Obviously, in the fourth quarter, we gave ourselves a chance. So, I really liked the fight. We got to clean up, obviously, the turnovers and their offensive rebounds. But I liked a lot of what we did.”

Overall, it was a nice showing for the young Portland team as they got their first taste of action. Next up for Portland is a showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers tonight starting at 5:30 p.m. PT.

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