Oden didn't need a rim-breaking dunk to awe the crowd in his professional debut last night against the Celtics. The mere presence of the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft was enough to pack Cox Pavilion and generate a rare NBA buzz in July.
Suffering from a sinus infection over the last week, Oden fouled out (the Summer League maximum is 10) late in the fourth quarter. From the opening quarter, when he picked up three quick fouls, Oden struggled to stay clear of the referees' whistles.
"It was different," said Oden, who acknowledged being nervous before his first NBA game. "It's a different game. They call it different. People play different. There's a lot of things you can't do, just a lot of hand movement, hand checks. You've just got to know the rules. I didn't play too well. I didn't play hard enough. When you don't play hard, you don't win. It's amazing [to get 10 fouls]. I've got to come at it harder and be able to get into a groove. I couldn't get into it [last night]."
Oden appeared to become more comfortable in the second quarter with a pair of field goals, including a powerful dunk he punctuated by slapping the backboard with both hands.
But Oden continued to pick up fouls and the Celtics picked up a 74-66 victory over the Trail Blazers. Leon Powe led the Celtics with 19 points and nine rebounds and, perhaps more importantly, survived a fall beside Oden fully intact. Gerald Green added 14 points for the Celtics. LaMarcus Aldridge was Portland's unquestioned leader with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Oden logged 6 points (3 for 4 from the field) in 20 minutes.
"It's going to be rough because it's different," said Oden of his adjustment to the NBA. "It's new. Guys are going to be going at it. That's always rough."
