When Do London Lions Play Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA?
London Lions vs Portland Trail Blazers is no ordinary preseason friendly. On Monday 12 October 2026, the Lions cross the Atlantic for a first: no British club has ever faced an NBA franchise, let alone in its own Portland arena. For UK basketball fans, it is a landmark night; for bettors, the interesting question is how to price an exhibition where nobody knows the rotations.
What Time Is London Lions vs Portland in the UK?
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday 12 October 2026 |
| UK tip-off | 9:00pm BST |
| Venue | Moda Center, Portland |
| Competition | NBA preseason exhibition |
| Streaming | NBA League Pass listing; check UK access |
The 1:00pm Portland tip-off translates to 9:00pm in Britain. Despite the NBA branding, this is not a regular-season contest, and neither club receives league points for winning. Portland have another exhibition the following day, making minute restrictions particularly relevant. Their 123-118 opening win over Golden State was entertaining, but Lillard played only 19 minutes. That is a useful warning against treating preseason scores as predictions of Monday’s intensity.
Which London Lions and Portland Players Could Feature?
The contrast starts in the backcourt. Portland opened their preseason against Golden State with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant alongside Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan. Those five provide a useful reference, not a confirmed starting line-up for Monday.
London’s published squad includes Keenan Evans, Tarik Phillip, Devante Jones, Thomas Kennedy and Joel Scott. Evans scored 21 points in Tuesday’s 89-77 EuroCup win over Tenerife, an encouraging response after the Lions’ narrow defeat in Šiauliai.
- Portland watch: Morant’s pace, Lillard’s shooting and Clingan’s size around the basket.
- London watch: Evans creating shots, Phillip’s defensive work and Kennedy competing inside.
- Bench factor: NBA depth should matter, but preseason substitutions can erase an apparent advantage.
Lions coach Tautvydas Sabonis has a personal stake in the occasion: his father Arvydas played seven seasons for Portland. Sabonis described the meeting as “a great test for our guys to try themselves against an NBA team”.
London Lions vs Portland Trail Blazers Betting Odds
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Will NBA Rules Change the Total Points?
NBA games use four 12-minute quarters, compared with four 10-minute periods in European basketball. If the NBA format is used here, that means eight additional regulation minutes. A straight comparison with London’s 89-point EuroCup performance would therefore be misleading.
The wider three-point arc, defensive three-second restrictions and transition opportunities also change the equation. Equally, coaches may test combinations rather than chase efficiency. The published total, not the novelty of the fixture, should decide any over-or-under interest. An early rebounding mismatch could also generate second chances, while a string of experimental substitutions might interrupt scoring rhythm. If the opening line feels speculative, the first quarter should offer a more useful picture of pace.
Betting Verdict
BeniThe conservative one
