Who: Phoenix Suns (8-6) @ Portland Trail Blazers (6-7)
When: 9:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Mota Center – Portland, Oregon
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, NBATV
Listen: KMVP 98.7
In the anxious wait for the next game after the Phoenix Suns suffered a colossal collapse Sunday night against the Atlanta Hawks, the Portland Trail Blazers welcome them into a heated Western Conference race early in the season. It is an important game with real weight, even this early in the schedule.
The Suns
were on a heater before that loss, and the temperature should still stay high for their offense, even without Grayson Allen, who missed Sunday’s game with a quad injury. Tonight, Allen will be M.I.A. again, leaving the question of whether the Suns can stay level-headed and composed in the fourth quarter without one of their most reliable shooters and secondary ball handlers. It will be another test of their depth, discipline, and ability to finish games under pressure as they look to avoid back-to-back setbacks.
Sunday night might have been a blip on the radar. Owning the collapse and moving on would have been the grown-up thing to do, but Dillon Brooks made it clear that the officiating played a major role in the Suns’ loss.
Yes, there were questionable calls down the stretch, but the Suns still need to take accountability and refocus. The Blazers are another confident, energetic team that won’t be easy to put away early, and lingering on Sunday’s mistakes won’t help them tonight.
Projected Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Jalen Green — OUT (Right Hamstring Strain)
- Grayson Allen — OUT (Right Quad Contusion)
Blazers
- Scoot Henderson — OUT (Hamstring)
- Blake Wesley — OUT (Foot)
- Matisse Thybulle — OUT (Torn UCL)
- Damian Lillard — OUT (Torn Left Achilles)
What to Watch For
Second in the league in offensive rebounds, the Blazers could create problems for the Suns, who struggled earlier in the season on the defensive glass but have recently improved, allowing only 15.1 second-chance points per game.
The Suns will need to battle Donovan Clingan, who averages 4.5 offensive boards per game, tooth and nail for every rebound. It has to be a full-team effort, and Suns’ center Mark Williams will need support to keep the offense in rhythm by limiting second-chance opportunities.
Without Grayson Allen again tonight, the Suns will need to find their three-point closeouts elsewhere. Royce O’Neale, who struggled to hit timely threes against the Hawks, will need to step up. Look for him to knock down a few key shots in the second half to help maintain the Suns’ lead and keep their momentum rolling.
Keys to a Suns Victory
Losing four of their last five games, the Blazers will be hungry to stay in the Play-In hunt and avoid falling two games below .500. It will be another test against a team with urgency, similar to the Hawks on Sunday, who have been a surprise this year and now look like favorites to remain in the top ten out West.
With Deni Avdija emerging as a strong Most Improved Player candidate, it will be the Suns’ job to shut him down early, cutting off his playmaking and shot-making ability before he can energize a Blazers team backed by one of the best home crowds in the league.
If the Suns can control Avdija’s impact, force Portland into tough shots, and limit their second-chance opportunities, they’ll put themselves in a strong position to dictate pace and maintain control throughout the night.
Predicion
The Suns win a close one.
Suns 116, Trail Blazers 110
