The Portland Trail Blazers won a slog of a game against the Phoenix Suns 92-77. Neither team were able to get almost anything to go on the offensive side of the court the entire game. For Portland, this was due in part to Deni Avdija leaving the game just 59 seconds into the contest with an injury to his lower back that took him out for the rest of the game.
Portland was led in scoring by a pair of 23 point performances by Jerami Grant and Donovan Clingan. Outside of those two, there were only two other
Blazers in double figures: Toumani Camara with 12 and Scoot Henderson with 11 points.
Phoenix was led by Collin Gillespie’s 18 points and Jalen Green’s 13 points.
Player of the Game
Donovan Clingan put together yet another dominant performance. This time it was to the tune of 23 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks while shooting 9 of 13 from the field. His play in the paint on both sides of the court is an incredible advantage for the Blazers, and when he is on, he can turn the tide of an entire game.
In addition to his efficient night inside the arc, he also made three of his six attempts from deep as he continues proving to be an outside threat.
Stat of the Night
The 169 points between the two teams is the lowest point total in a game this season by a decent margin. The previous lowest was a tie between two games at 177 total points. Portland’s 92 points in a win is also the lowest this season, beating a Cleveland Cavaliers win in January with 94 points.
While the Blazers played incredible defense throughout the game, they were helped by a putrid 31 of 84 shooting night from Phoenix from the field and 9 of 35 from behind the arc.
What We Noticed
Block. Party. The Blazers were swatting shots left and right. They had 8 blocks in the first half alone, and ended the game with 11 total. That impressive defensive performance was punctuated by an electric play from Toumani Camara with about 3:30 remaining in the third quarter. He ran out to contest a three-pointer from Rasheer Fleming, blocked the shot and used the momentum from the close out to get a wide-open lane to the basket. Camara then threw down a hard dunk to push Portland’s lead to 20 points.
Overall, the Blazers just outhustled the Suns. It was the second night of a back-to-back for Phoenix after an overtime game, and it showed. They struggled to keep up with Portland, even on a poor shooting night for the Blazers. That allowed Portland to overcome their shooting woes with defense and keep the Suns from ever being a major threat to take control of the game.
Up Next
The Blazers will be back at home to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, February 24th at 7pm Pacific.
