What Blazers Need in Summer League Matchup vs. Magic

The Portland Trail Blazers hope to bounce back when they take on the Orlando Magic in their second game of their Las Vegas Summer League run.

The Blazers led by as much as 16 points against the Phoenix Suns in their opener, but they couldn't hold onto their lead as they lost 81-79 against the team they beat in the Play-In Tournament back in April. Blazers Summer League head coach Gilbert Abraham spoke about the team's performance following the game.

"I think we played with a lot of effort. We definitely competed on the defensive end. I think we could have done a lot better job of just taking care of the basketball. Turnovers, I think, when they went on their runs, kind of hurt us. We could have been a little bit more adaptable by recognizing and putting ourselves in position to be successful," Abraham said postgame.

Blazers Adjusting to Summer League Life

The Blazers had moments of strength during their game, but they learned a lot in their first matchup, which can be translated into future games, beginning with this next one against the Magic.

"I think the biggest thing I've learned from this game is the pace of this type of game. Summer league is very, very fast, and this is my first time experiencing it live. Overall, it's something we're going to have to get better at as a group," Abraham said.

The main focus for the Blazers is 2025 first-round pick Yang Hansen, who scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Suns. Abraham noted that while Yang's debut was a learning experience, he showed undeniable flashes of potential during the game.

"Hansen had some highs. He had some situations where he could have been better, but overall, no training camp, not knowing exactly what we're doing all the way around. We're going to get better game by game and situation by situation," Abraham said.

"... I think it was just a few transition plays that he was compromised on, and it wasn't his fault necessarily. It's a team thing, but overall I think he competed."

The goal for the Blazers should be to see some level of improvement compared to their first game. If they can figure out how to correct some mistakes they made against the Suns, they should be able to take the right foot forward and grab a win against the Magic.

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