The Portland Trail Blazers host the Phoenix Suns tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST. They look to string two wins together for the first time in nearly four weeks. The Suns have lost three straight road games and will try to regain confidence in Portland. The game will be part of TNT’s double-header and you can listen to the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Both teams enter tonight’s contest fairly healthy. The Suns don’t have any significant injuries on their roster. The Trail Blazers got Lopez back on Tuesday night but still have to cope without Freeland. Freeland should be ready to return by mid-February. We probably won’t see him until after the All-Star break, which could have been Lopez’s situation too. The return of RoLo definitely seemed to boost not only the team but the fans of Rip City. Don’t believe me, read the following tweet from broadcaster Mike Rice:
Blazer fans continue to be the best. Last night's Utah game was the highest rated cable program of the night & best of the season forblazers
— Mike Rice (@mikerice6) February 4, 2015
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Although Lopez provides more interior offense and defense, the Trail Blazers still face a significant problem. Lillard has slid into a minor slump and it would benefit the entire team if he was able to climb out tonight. He has struggled mightily from behind the arc. In the past three games, Lillard has failed to shoot better than 11.1 percent from distance. He is only shooting 20 percent from distance over his last 10 games. In Tuesday’s win against the Utah Jazz, Lillard scored 25 points but was 0-6 from behind the arc. He will need to find his shooting touch in order for the Trail Blazers to return to the level of play they were at earlier this season.
The Suns lost in heartbreaking fashion on Monday. They hosted the Memphis Grizzlies and held a seven point advantage with 1:35 left in the game. They blew that lead and lost to a top Western Conference opponent 102-101. The main struggle for the Suns continues to be their ability to rebound. They were out-rebounded 46-38 on Monday and at 42.5 rebounds per game, they currently rank 18th in rebounding the league-wide. Their difficulty finding a clear cut starting center has not helped.
In the first meeting between these teams on January 21st, the Suns were able to take advantage of some missing key players for the Trail Blazers. Portland was without Aldridge and Lopez which allowed Phoenix to hold a rare advantage on the boards (50-44). With both Aldridge and Lopez back in the lineup, the Suns may find it difficult to reach a similar outcome this time around. Batum had a season-high 27 points in that game but has since returned to mediocre production averaging only 5.8 points over his last five games.
The Trail Blazers must pound the Suns on the glass and dominate the inside to secure victory. Lopez, Aldridge, and Kaman should all be able to handle that task. The team also needs Lillard to find his touch from distance. It will help the Trail Blazers win tonight’s game and it may provide them with a boost for their upcoming two game road trip this weekend against tough Western Conference competition. If the Trail Blazers win the rebounding battle and Lillard finds his outside shot, they will win the game.