Portland Trail Blazers First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Deni Avdija scored the Trail Blazers’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 18 times in 72 starts, or 25% of the games they started. Donovan Clingan was next with 15. The Trail Blazers made the game’s first field goal in 47% of their 88 games and won 49% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Trail Blazers in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any POR player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for POR | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deni Avdija | 72 | 18 | 25% | 7 | 10% |
| Donovan Clingan | 83 | 15 | 18% | 7 | 8% |
| Toumani Camara | 88 | 13 | 15% | 5 | 6% |
| Jrue Holiday | 57 | 12 | 21% | 6 | 11% |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 42 | 10 | 24% | 3 | 7% |
| Jerami Grant | 38 | 9 | 24% | 5 | 13% |
| Scoot Henderson | 16 | 5 | 31% | 3 | 19% |
| Sidy Cissoko | 26 | 3 | 12% | 3 | 12% |
| Kris Murray | 15 | 3 | 20% | 2 | 13% |
How often the Trail Blazers scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 88 | 41 | 47% |
| Home | 43 | 22 | 51% |
| Away | 45 | 19 | 42% |
| Regular season | 82 | 39 | 48% |
| Play-in | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Playoffs | 5 | 2 | 40% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Clingan | 82 | 42 | 51% |
| Robert Williams III | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Kris Murray | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Toumani Camara | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Yang Hansen | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Jerami Grant | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 87 | 43 | 49% |
How the Trail Blazers’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Layup | 35 | 40% |
| 3-pointer | 32 | 36% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 15 | 17% |
| Dunk | 6 | 7% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for POR | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toumani Camara | 78 | 16 | 21% | 6 | 8% |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 52 | 12 | 23% | 6 | 12% |
| Jerami Grant | 47 | 12 | 26% | 3 | 6% |
| Deni Avdija | 54 | 10 | 19% | 6 | 11% |
| Anfernee Simons | 70 | 10 | 14% | 5 | 7% |
| Donovan Clingan | 37 | 9 | 24% | 4 | 11% |
| Deandre Ayton | 40 | 9 | 22% | 3 | 8% |
| Robert Williams III | 3 | 2 | 67% | 1 | 33% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Trail Blazers?
Deni Avdija, with 18 of the Trail Blazers’ first baskets in 2025-26 (25% of their 72 starts), ahead of Donovan Clingan with 15.
How often do the Trail Blazers score first?
The Trail Blazers made the first field goal in 41 of 88 games in 2025-26 (47%): 51% at home and 42% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Trail Blazers?
Donovan Clingan took 82 of the Trail Blazers’ 87 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 51% of them.
Is Deni Avdija a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 25% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.