2016 NBA superteam Golden State Warriors handed the Blazers a bruising 127-104 loss last night in a game that wasn't even as close as this lopsided score suggests. The first half was a lot of fun to watch though, and it'd be nice to think these two teams will have some more closely fought contests later this season.

The first thing you would have noticed had you been at this game was the large contingent of Golden State fans in attendance. It's always a little disconcerting to hear loud cheers go up when the "away" team scores. What's up with that? This is our house! I was curious what the breakdown was between die-hard Warriors fans who'd traveled here to see the game, and fresh transplants from the bay area who had simply moved up here to escape and create higher rents.

At first, as I pondered the later group, the transplants, I thought, "Man, those folks need to assimilate better to our culture. You can't just move up here and bring all your own beliefs and prejudices with you." But then I reconsidered this line thinking. Hey, it's cool, root for whatever team you want. This is America! Bring it on!

Okay, this game wasn't much to write home about from a Blazers perspective. Golden State is a juggernaut this year. You know about that, right? Steph Curry? Kay Thompson? Who let them get Kevin Durant as well? WTF?

At one point during the game the jumbotron camera settled upon a fan-made sign which read, "I've been a Golden State fan my whole life... said no fan ever!" The crowd cheered at that one. That's right, posers!

One wishful sign read, "Golden State chemistry: failed!" It sure didn't appear that way tonight. Kevin Durant really is a pretty deadly addition to an already lethal team. Lillard and McCollum looked good out there though and they seemed to match up pretty well with Curry and Thompson. I predict more and better backcourt battles between these guys this season.

Things got a little chippy during the second period. What the heck was going on here?

During halftime I roamed the halls seeking answers to my questions about who these Golden State fans were and why were they invading our shores. They were easy to find, and very cheerful. Check out these happy dudes:

This is the Portland version of those guys:

Then I noticed another phenomenon. Blazers/Warriors couples! Love and friendship across the divide,
like Romeo and Juliette:

Coolest Blazer fans of the night:

Halftime is always awesome at the Moda Center, but so far this year the third quarter has been a real bummer. Someone needs to work on their halftime pep talks down in the locker room because it seems like the Blazers have gotten blown out in every third quarter this season. Luckily, they've been good enough to shoot their way back into a couple of those games, but not so last night.

The second half was pretty much a clinic, with one interesting bright spot on the Blazers end. Deep bench rookie Jake Layman busted out a record-setting debut during his first ever NBA minutes. He hit 5 three point shots in only 8 minutes of play, tying the record for most 3's made in an NBA first game. He also threw down a nice dunk to bring his point total to 17, the highest Trailblazer debut since Lillard scored 23 back on Halloween of 2012. All this in 8 minutes! Maybe we'll be seeing more of this guy?

It wasn't a great game for the Blazers. But there's still a lot of hope left in our tanks. The season is young we'll get a few more cracks at those big guns before it's all said and done.