LaMarcus Aldridge has said that the San Antontio Spurs "set the tone" during the opening game of their Western Conference semi-final playoff against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Spurs, who are the top seeds in the West, never trailed as they wrapped up a 116-92 win.
Aldridge, who was Portland's top scorer during the meeting, told reporters: "They did what championship teams do. They came out and set the tone early.
"Most of the guys on [Portland's] team haven't even been in the second round and they've won championships. They've been here. I think they definitely came out and they let us know how it's going to be.
"They knew where we were going to do [plays]. They tried to deny guys on certain sets. They tried to force guys to their weak hand. They did what good teams do. I think guys are going to learn from it."
The Trail Blazers are in the conference semi-finals for the first time since 2000.
