October 14, 2026 at 2:23 PM UTC
NewsDamian Lillard Returns From Ruptured Achilles in Trail Blazers' Preseason Win Over Warriors
In his first game since rupturing his Achilles, Damian Lillard scored 15 points in 19 minutes as Portland beat Golden State 123-118 in preseason play, starting alongside new teammate Ja Morant.
Damian Lillard played in a game for the first time since rupturing his Achilles tendon on Wednesday, scoring 15 points in 19 minutes as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Golden State Warriors 123-118 in a preseason game in Portland. The win moved the Blazers to 1-0 in the preseason. The Warriors fell to 1-2.
Lillard's last competitive appearance came in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, where the Achilles injury ended his season. He spent the 2025-26 season recovering and then returned to Portland, where his NBA career began. Wednesday's game opened his 13th year in the league.
What Lillard did on the floor
Lillard started and shot 5-of-11 from the field, making three 3-pointers. He also had one rebound, one assist and two steals. He did not play heavy minutes, and one exhibition game says little about how he will hold up over a full season. Still, scoring efficiently and picking up two steals in his first game back is a more encouraging result than a tentative return would have been.
He started next to Ja Morant, who is new to the Blazers, and Lillard worked primarily without the ball. That role is notable. Lillard has long been one of the league's best on-ball guards, and playing off the ball lets him find shots without carrying the full playmaking load every possession. Whether that arrangement is a deliberate way to ease him back or a lasting feature of the lineup is a question Portland has yet to answer publicly. One preseason game cannot settle it.
A changed approach to training
NBA insider Chris Haynes said he visited Lillard's home during the offseason and watched some of his workouts. According to Haynes, Lillard told him he would be back and that he feels like he is "29 all over again" after changing his training routine. Haynes added that Lillard looked comfortable on the court, saying, "He's in cruise control."
Those comments are a mix of Lillard's own account and an outside observer's impression, and they should be read that way. They show how Lillard describes his recovery. They do not measure how his body will respond to the demands of a regular-season schedule. The more useful evidence will be how he moves, how many minutes he handles and how he feels as games accumulate.
Why the backcourt matters
Portland has a clear reason to care about the early signs. The Blazers have a young core that reached the playoffs last season, and they have now added Morant and brought back Lillard. On paper, that gives them two high-profile guards with very different skills to build around a group of younger players.
The analysis here is straightforward. If Lillard can stay healthy and effective, Portland's backcourt could become a major part of how the team approaches the season. Defenses will have to account for his shooting range, and Morant's presence gives the Blazers another creator who can put pressure on the defense. If Lillard's workload has to be managed closely, the team will have to rely more heavily on the younger players who got it into the playoffs.
The pairing also raises basic questions about fit. Both guards are accustomed to having the ball. Lillard's willingness to work off the ball in this game suggests the two can share the load, but a single preseason appearance cannot show how that will work against starters playing regular-season minutes.
The early read
What Wednesday showed is limited but real. Lillard returned to competition after missing a full season, got through his minutes, scored efficiently and produced on both ends. The Blazers won a game that gave them a first look at their new guard combination.
After the game, Lillard appeared on NBA TV's "The Association" to discuss his return to the court, a sign of how much attention his comeback is drawing around the league.
The more important tests are still ahead. Preseason games are shorter and lower-stakes than the ones Lillard missed, and the minutes he plays will matter as much as the points he scores. For now, Portland has what it wanted from the first step: Lillard back on the floor, playing like himself, in the city where he started.