Worth waiting for – Oden, Fernandez sparkle as Blazers turn it on

Aldridge: 'I didn't know we would mesh so well so fast'

By Steve Brandon

The Portland Tribune, Oct 7, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

Greg Oden jams, as the Trail Blazers jell in their 110-81 victory Tuesday over Sacramento.

L.E. BASKOW / THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE

Fans got a glimpse of the future.

The present looked pretty good, too.

It took the Trail Blazers less than a half to warm up – and then it was all red, hot and rolling Tuesday at a rollicking Rose Garden.

The Blazers outscored the Sacramento Kings 80-40 over the final 30:55 to score a 110-81 preseason-opening rout.

The Kings, who will challenge for the bottom spot in the Western Conference, led by as many as 11 points in the first half, before the Blazers, who could be near the top in the West, found themselves.

With a dazzling mix of passes and sudden spurts of energy, Portland rang up 32 assists, including five unforgettable assists by new hero Rudy Fernandez and some easy-looking dunks by Greg Oden in their debuts.

“I didn’t know we would mesh so well so fast,” forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. “You would have thought we’d been together for two years.”

Fernandez, saying “the fans help me,” showed that his learning curve is well on the way to being a straight line to NBA success.

As, it appears, is the team’s.

“I think it’s a great team,” Fernandez said. “There’s a lot of talent. I think it’s a family.

“And these are great guys, which really reflects on the court.”

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