The London Lions became the first British club to face an NBA team but suffered a heavy 119-66 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers in Oregon on Monday. London never led as Portland dominated throughout, leading for 99 per cent of the contest and stretching their advantage to as many as 57 points at one stage. The Trail Blazers extended their lead in every quarter, going into the breaks 34-21, 72-33 and 100-49 ahead, having entered the game as 36.5-point favourites.
Portland shot 56 per cent from the field and made 16 of their 34 three-point attempts, while London managed just 30 per cent overall and went 7 of 33 from beyond the arc. The hosts dominated inside, outscoring the Lions 54-24 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 51-32. Overall, Portland registered 32 assists on 45 made field goals and showcased some nice ball movement at the Moda Center as they moved to 2-0 in preseason action.
London also committed 24 turnovers, from which Portland scored 39 points, compared with just 14 points the Lions generated from their opponents' mistakes. The game was played under NBA rules rather than European regulations, with 12-minute quarters instead of 10, a larger court and a three-point line further from the basket. London briefly threatened to make a contest of it towards the end of the first quarter.
Ethan Price hit two three-pointers from 26 feet in the space of 40 seconds, both assisted by Devante Adams either side of a Deni Avdija layup, to bring the Lions within four points at 23-19 with three minutes remaining in the period. But Portland took control with a 38-12 second quarter, including a 15-0 run over the final four minutes of the half. Maxwell Lewis, the only London player with previous NBA experience, led the Lions with 13 points, five rebounds and a game-high four steals.
Adams added 12 points off the bench, while Price and Joel Scott contributed eight apiece. Six of Scott's points came in the fourth quarter, while Thomas Kennedy collected six rebounds, including three offensive boards. Great Britain international Tarik Phillip endured a difficult night, missing all eight of his field-goal attempts, including five from three-point range.
His three points came entirely from the free-throw line. Portland's five starters played a combined 76 minutes for 45 points. None of them appeared after half-time.
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