Surreal night: Warriors fall to Blazers team rocked by NBA gambling scandal

PORTLAND – Tucked into an out-of-the-way Moda Center closet masquerading as the visiting team’s interview room, Warriors coach Steve Kerr went through the customary roster updates on Friday afternoon. 

Al Horford would sit out the second night of a back-to-back. Moses Moody was healthy enough to debut and would play around 20 minutes. Jonathan Kuminga’s chemistry with Jimmy Butler was miles ahead of last season’s uneasy partnership. 

Then came the questions about the gambling scandal that has rocked the NBA. 

Tiago Splitter would debut as head coach for the opposing Trail Blazers on this night, one day after the FBI arrested Chauncey Billups on illegal gambling charges that linked the Hall of Fame point guard to rigged poker games and the mafia. 

Kerr focused on Splitter’s credentials, which includes a title in France’s top league, and a demeanor that impressed American coaches at the Paris Olympics in 2024. 

“He thought he’d be an NBA head coach one day,” Kerr said. “Obviously, nobody wants it to happen under these circumstances. But I think there’s a reason Tiago is here. He’s a very, very, very talented guy.”

Fifteen minutes prior, in a larger room packed with reporters, cameras and microphones looking for sound bites, Splitter fielded questions and did his best to give non-descript answers before his Blazers routed the Warriors 139-119. 

“It was a tough moment, but I’ve got to do my job,” Splitter said. 

A question about his team’s morale following such an unprecedented situation simply brought about another cliche. 

“It’s life stuff that happened, and you just have to go to the next step, which is basketball, and do our job,” Splitter said, later adding. “Not great, but like I said, we have got to move forward, and we have got a job to do.”

So often the center of attention – both on and off the court – for the past decade, the Warriors found themselves a small actor in the ongoing Blazers saga. 

Undefeated Golden State arrived in Oregon’s largest city late Thursday night ready to play its first back-to-back of the season. There would be no shoot around. 

Totally expected for a team with four players age 35 and older.

The Blazers, winless after one game, also declined to have shoot-around despite not playing the day before. 

Totally expected … for completely different reasons. 

Aside from franchise legend Damien Lillard chastizing Oregon native Kevin Love over an Instagram post, no member of the Blazers organization had commented on the gambling scandal. 

Warriors veteran Draymond Green, no stranger to sharing his opinion, refused to feign outrage the day before over the possible role that the NBA’s partnership with sportsbooks could have had on the scandal that involved both Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier. 

“It pops up right on your phone, whether the league is a partner with the (gambling) company or not,” Green said. “Ain’t changing nothing.”

On the other side, the Blazers did their best to act as if it were just another pregame. Matisse Thybulle dutifully signed autographs from kids who pined for a signature from a solid role player. 

Hansen Yang – hounded by over a dozen Chinese media members there to chronicle his every move – launched jumpers while Mandarin pop songs blared through the arena. 

Nothing out of the ordinary … except for the fact that their acting coach was forbidden from speaking to Billups, a man who is now facing prison time.

“No,” was the extent of Splitter’s reaction to a question about whether he can talk to his exiled boss.

The Blazers lopsided victory seemed, in some part, due to their energy. 

Portland played like a team that had spent much of the past 48 hours bombarded by questions and scrutiny after their coach had appeared in front of a federal judge. 

After the victory, Avdija, who scored 26 points, expressed affection for his former coach. 

“From the first player to the last staff member, we all love Chauncey. He meant a lot to me, to everybody, because he’s a great person. It really was a surprise, but at the end of the day we’re hoping the best for him, and keep moving forward,” Avdija said.

While Billups’ shadow will continue to hang over Portland for the foreseeable future, the Warriors had already moved on to a much-anticipated two-day break after playing three games in four days.

It was on to Monday’s game in Memphis. 

“When you win, the vibes are high and everybody is feeling tgood, and when you lose a game, nobody likes that,” Steph Curry said. “It’ll be a good test to bounce back and defend our home court.”