Ja Morant, Damian Lillard giving Blazers a different kind of finish

The Trail Blazers brought in Ja Morant to give Damian Lillard some help. Three games into their partnership, opponents are getting a look at why that might be a problem.

Especially when there’s nowhere left to hide in the final two minutes.

Portland improved to 3-0 with Tuesday’s 136-129 win over the Lakers, but the interesting part was how many answers the Blazers had when the game needed winning.

Morant hit consecutive shots inside the arc. Lillard delivered from deep. Deni Avdija scored and found teammates. Together, those three accounted for 14 of Portland’s final 15 points, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details⁠.

Pick your concern. Portland has another one waiting.

First-year coach Micah Nori emphasized upon taking the job that the Blazers needed to improve in close games. He also stressed that finishing lineups mattered more than starting ones.

So far, the results support the approach. Portland has won both of its games featuring clutch-time minutes after going 21-22 in those situations last season.

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Morant’s 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting offered another encouraging sign. He doesn’t have to dominate every possession for this arrangement to work, but Portland can still turn to him when it needs a basket.

Three games won’t settle questions about fit. Winning close ones while the partnership develops, though, gives the Blazers something better than promises to sell.