The Portland Trail Blazers fell 81-79 to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night to kick off their 2026 NBA Summer League schedule. A massive second half for the Suns propelled them to the win after the Blazers held a 14-point lead heading into the halftime break. Portland had a chance to win it, but couldn’t connect on a last-second buzzer-beater.
The Blazers were led in scoring by the 21 points of DJ Steward. Frankie Fidler had 13 points,. Sophomore big man Yang Hansen notched 12 points in the contest.
Former Portland two-way player Javonte Cook led Phoenix off the bench with 21 points in the game. 2025 NBA #10 overall pick Khaman Maluach finished with 19 points, and 2026 #30 overall pick Koa Peat had 17 points.
Here are some key takeaways from the game.
Yang Hansen
The #16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was the lone Portland draftee in the lineup in the game. He finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers in 26 minutes of action. Hansen started slow, scoring just two of his points in the first half. However, they were an emphatic two, as he drove past Maluach on the perimeter and finished with a left-handed dunk at the rim.
Hansen’s second half showed a bit more on the offensive end. He had a pair of baskets in the third quarter, then made two threes in the fourth quarter to help with the comeback effort late.
He made some sloppy mistakes throughout the game, including the four turnovers. However, he showcased some impressive passing and court vision. Those didn’t always lead to baskets as the Blazers struggled to find the bottom of the net, but he could have ended with at least a few more assists if Portland shot a bit better from the field.
Classic Summer League Game
This game featured a lot of shots, a lot of threes, a lot of guards controlling the game and a whole lot of missed field goal attempts. Neither Portland and Phoenix could buy a basket in the first half. The Blazers shot 30.8% from the field before intermission. Somehow the Suns got under the bar, shooting 21.1% from the field for the half. This included a combined 2 makes on 35 attempts behind the arc.
The energy in the second half stayed the same, but more shots started falling. Both teams ended up above 36% from the field for the game.
One Free Throw Rule
The NBA is testing out the one free throw rule for this year’s Summer League. Instead of shooting two or three free throws, a player will shoot just one, equal to either two or three points, depending on the type of shot on which the foul occurred. Portland shot 73.3% from the line in the game, and Phoenix shot 64.7% on their free throws.
However, the most notable free throws came via exceptions to the rule. In the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, free throws will be shot as normal instead of carrying the increased value. When the Suns’s Darius Brown III had two shots with seven seconds left in the game, he made the first and missed the second, allowing the Blazers a chance to tie or win. Portland was unable to capitalize on that chance, as Steward missed a floater as time expired.
Up Next
The Portland Trail Blazers now face the Orlando Magic on Sunday, July 12 at 4:00 p.m. PST.
