Trail Blazers open preseason vs. LA Clippers in Seattle: Game preview, time, how to listen on radio, no TV broadcast

Damian Lillard (center) talks with teammates after a Portland Trail Blazers practice at UC Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, California, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.

The Portland Trail Blazers departed training camp in Santa Barbara, California, this weekend and headed to the site of their first preseason game of the season in Seattle.

Damian Lillard, for one, said he was looking forward to the opportunity to play in front of the city’s NBA fans.

“Since I’ve been playing, the Sonics haven’t been an NBA team, so to just go play in Seattle is cool,” he said. “We played in Vancouver (British Columbia) a few years back. Two or three years ago, we had a preseason game in the (Memorial) Coliseum. So, every time we get to do something like that, I always enjoy it because I wonder what was it like when games were played in these different arenas. So, I am excited to play in Seattle. I think it’ll be fun.”

The Blazers in 2018 lost 122-104 to Toronto in Vancouver, BC.

Seattle NBA fans have been longing for the return of an NBA franchise since their beloved Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Years later, Key Arena was renovated to house the Kraken, an NHL expansion team that began playing in 2021 in what is now called Climate Pledge Arena.

Although Blazers games are now broadcasted on Root Sports — which also carries the Seattle Mariners and the Kraken — it’s doubtful that Sonics fans will ever fully embrace the Trail Blazers as their Northwest team in the way that Portland-area fans have done with the Seahawks and the Mariners.

But until Seattle lands a new NBA team, which appears possible in the future given Seattle’s market size (12th, according to sportsmediawatch.com, Portland is 21st) and that it now has a modern arena, promoting the Blazers in the area can’t hurt.

This will be the first live action for the Blazers this preseason, but the second outing for the Clippers. They got their feet wet Saturday in a 121-81 win over Maccabi Ra’anana, a professional basketball club based in Israel that the Blazers will host Thursday at the Moda Center.

The Clippers did not play Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, John Wall, Nicolas Batum, and several other regulars against Maccabi Ra’anana.

It’s reasonable to expect the Blazers to do the same Thursday, which would mean extended action for younger players such as Shaedon Sharpe, Jabari Walker, Trendon Watford, Greg Brown III and Keon Johnson.

For more on the upcoming preseason, check out 5 storylines heading into Portland Trail Blazers’ preseason opener vs. LA Clippers.

Monday’s game is not being televised in the Portland area.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. LA CLIPPERS

What: Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers, 7:30 p.m., Monday.

Where: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle.

Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).

TV channel: TV channel: The game will not be televised. This is considered to be a Clippers home game.

ODDS (via OregonLottery/DraftKings)

Moneyline: POR +225 | LAC - 265

Spread: LAC -7 | Over/Under: 215.5

INJURIES

Blazers: Gary Payton II (core muscle surgery) is out until the start of regular season.

Clippers: Not available.

NEXT UP

The Blazers host Utah at 7 p.m., Tuesday at the Moda Center.

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).

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