Seattle, WA
Trail Blazers lose tight game in front of enthusiastic Seattle NBA fans
SEATTLE – The Portland Trail Blazers played their first preseason game Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena and lost 101-99 to the LA Clippers.
The winning basket for the Clippers came on an alley-oop dunk by Kai Jones on a pass from Jordan Miller with 2.2 seconds on the clock. Blazers guard Dalana Banton missed a three-point attempt as time expired.
The thrilling end added to the atmosphere that more resembled a playoff game. Many Seattle sports legends were in attendance to welcome the NBA back to Seattle, even if just for one night – for now.
Former Supersonics legends Sean Kemp, Gary Payton, and Jamal Crawford were on hand. So were a handful of famous former Seahawks, including coach Pete Carroll. Former Blazers star Brandon Roy, from Seattle, was also on hand.
They were all there to watch the Blazers take on the LA Clippers. One team doesn’t have much hope for the upcoming season, while the other could get into the playoff mix.
For the Blazers, the night was about testing what they worked on during training camp. Rebounding and pace were at the top of the list.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said his team was a bit antsy to play an opponent after nearly two weeks of training camp, which might have caused the Blazers not to play their best.
“I thought we struggled,” Billups said. “I thought their physicality early in the game had an impact on us. We turned it over early. And even when we didn’t turn it over, we just weren’t clean at all … But it was good to get out there and get one in.”
The Blazers committed nine turnovers in the first half and 17 for the game, which the Clippers converted into 23 points.
Also important all season long will be the play of second-year guard Scoot Henderson and rookie center Donovan Clingan.
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots with Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) defending during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) APAP
Henderson closely resembled the player he was for most of last season when he struggled after being selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
Henderson committed two turnovers within the game’s first minute and ended the night with seven in 30 minutes. He went on to score 13 points while shooting 4 of 16 from the field and 1 of 6 on three-pointers. Henderson also added three assists and three rebounds.
Rookie center Donovan Clingan made his first shot, a three-pointer from straight away. He ended the game with seven points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He backed up Deandre Ayton, who, in 17 minutes, put up eight points and seven rebounds.
Jerami Grant scored 15 points in just 16 minutes. Toumani Camara led the Blazers with 19 points. He shot 5 of 9 from the field and added nine rebounds.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Blazes were down Shaedon Sharpe (shoulder) and Anfernee Simons (ankle soreness). That’s a lot of offensive firepower to play without. Also, forward Deni Avdija sat out for personal reasons.
That the Blazers had a chance to win says a lot about the rest of the roster.
Kris Murray started at guard and delivered nine points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) drives against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kai Jones (23) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer) APAP
PACESETTERS
The Blazers want to play faster this season than in 2023-24 when they ranked 21st at 97.9 possessions per 48 minutes. On Friday, the Blazers had a 102.2 pace.
“Not great, but I thought their full-court pressure kind of impacted that,” Billups said. “And then also, their offensive rebounding really hurt us.”
The Clippers converted 10 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. Overall, Portland outrebounded the Clippers 47-43.
NEXT UP
The Blazers play their second preseason game at 3 p.m., Sunday at the Sacramento Kings.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
Thanks to Carrie Brown for the westward view of our Saturday night sunset. The high today hit 68 at the airport – eight degrees above normal – but nowhere near the record for this date, which was 89 degrees back in 2016. The forecast suggests two more days of partly sunny, almost-70-degree weather, before the chance of rain returns.
CHICAGO (AP) — The struggling New York Mets placed former Seattle Mariners second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right wrist contusion.
Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Robles, Vargas and more
The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, a day after Polanco went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old Polanco is batting .179 (10 for 56) with a homer and two RBIs in his first season with New York, which has lost nine straight.
“When doctors first took a look at him, it looked like he got hit by a pitch when he didn’t,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “In talking to him, it was just a couple of swings that he took that night. … He didn’t think much of it, but just got worse the following day.
“So you just got to let it calm down a little bit and then we’ll go from there. But we don’t have a timetable for how long this is going to last.”
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets in December, also has been dealing with an ankle issue.
“He was trending in the right direction,” Mendoza said of the ankle injury. “It’s definitely going to help, obviously now with him being shut down. But the biggest thing now is that we’ve got to take care of that wrist.”
Polanco spent the previous two seasons with the Mariners, who acquired him in a February 2024 trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Polanco struggled during his first season with Seattle in 2024, hitting just .213 with 16 homers in 118 games while playing through a knee injury that didn’t become public knowledge until after the season.
But after the Mariners somewhat surprisingly brought him back for a one-year contract in 2025, Polanco rebounded to hit .265 with 26 homers and an .821 OPS in 138 games last season. He then added three homers during Seattle’s playoff run, along with a 15th-inning walkoff single in Game 5 of the American League Division Series that sent the Mariners to their first ALCS in 24 years.
Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller to begin rehab assignment
Seattle, WA
Brandon Nimmo hits leadoff homer, Jacob deGrom works 4 scoreless as Rangers beat Seattle Mariners 5-0
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 17: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers tags out Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff home run, Jacob deGrom threw four shutout innings and Gavin Collyer earned his first career win as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 on Friday night.
Seattle lost its fourth straight game, and was shut out for the fourth time in 21 games, falling to 8-13. The Mariners were shut out six times during the 2025 season. Texas won its third straight game.
Nimmo led off the game with a 372-foot shot to right field off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (1-3). It was Nimmo’s 16th career leadoff homer and second of the season. He also hit a leadoff home run on April 11 in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
DeGrom effectively maneuvered through Seattle’s lineup, and worked out of a one out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning. The two-time Cy Young Award winner recorded two of his three strikeouts after walking Josh Naylor to load the bases. Randy Arozarena fanned on a curveball, and Luke Raley swung through a fastball.
Texas added to its lead after Nimmo’s homer. Wyatt Langford’s single to left scored Corey Seager, who led off the third inning with a double. The Rangers stretched the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single from Jake Burger in the seventh.
The Mariners’ best scoring chance came in the sixth after Collyer (1-0), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, left the game.
J.P. Crawford singled to left off Tyler Alexander with two out, and Mariners third base coach Carlos Cardoza sent Naylor from second base, but he was thrown out by Langford.
Texas added two more runs in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen and an RBI double by Josh Jung.
Seattle third baseman Brendan Donovan left the game early due to a left hip issue.
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller, who started the year on the injured list with a left oblique injury, was at T-Mobile Park for the first time this season. He will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday.
Up next
Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 3.25) will face Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40) on Saturday afternoon.
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