Trail Blazers vs. Suns – A must win for both teams
By Ryan Allison
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Phoenix Suns. The Trail Blazers will try to win their second consecutive game while breaking a seven game losing streak to the Suns in Phoenix. The Suns are battling for their playoff lives, sitting three games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final playoff spot. The game can be seen on NBATV, CSNNW, and can be heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
The Trail Blazers finally have the losing streak monkey off their back. At this point, winning is vital and the Trail Blazers fought back against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night to earn a 92-89 victory. Lillard might not have shot the ball extremely well (37.5 percent) but he finished with 23 points and tied a career-high with 12 assists. He has now scored a total of 79 points over his last three games and has seemed to start his return to All-Star form at the right time.
For the Trail Blazers, what might be more important than winning is to be as healthy as possible entering the playoffs. They got Aldridge back in the starting lineup on Wednesday and even though he didn’t have his usual production, it was great to have him back on the floor. Batum was initially added to the starting lineup against the Jazz but was a late scratch after experiencing tightness during warmups. He is considered questionable for tonight’s game and would be a welcomed addition.
The Suns had a great chance to pick up a game on the Thunder for the eighth and final playoff spot on Wednesday. Before their game against the Kings tipped, the Suns were aware of the beat down the Spurs put on the Thunder, which left the door open for the Suns to gain ground. They were not able to capitalize on that opportunity as they lost to the Kings 108-99. Every game remaining is a must win for the Suns and they also have to have some help from the Thunder. They will give the Trail Blazers their best effort tonight and the Trail Blazers must be ready to respond.
This will be the first game of a back-to-back for the Trail Blazers as they travel back home tomorrow to take on the Denver Nuggets. To say the Trail Blazers struggle in Phoenix is an understatement. They have lost seven straight games at US Airways Center. In fact, they have lost 17 of their last 19 regular season games against the Suns on the road. Their last win in against the Suns in Phoenix was in 2010! Not sure if it’s all of the vitamin D from that glowing orb that is absent from the Portland sky most of the year, but, whatever it is, it has been kryptonite to the Trail Blazers.
In looking at the favorable matchups, look at how the Suns defend the backcourt, which is poorly. Bledsoe has been known to give up big games to opposing point guards. If Lillard continues to be as engaged as he has been lately, he could be in line for a huge performance. The key for Lillard is to take the ball to the rim and not settle for low percentage shots. Bledsoe is deadly on the offensive end of the court, which means Lillard will have to step up his defense tonight.
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Knight could return to the lineup tonight and it will be interesting to see how the Suns use him. If they don’t limit his minutes, he could create some problems for the Trail Blazers. He has averaged 19.8 points in five career games against the Trail Blazers, his second-best average against any opponent. This season, he is averaging 17.5 in two games against Portland. He could play at either guard position so we’ll see if Lillard or Afflalo will draw the assignment on Knight.
It would be great if the Trail Blazers could produce a lopsided score going into the fourth quarter in order to allow rest for some of the starters. A win is important but they must also consider the game against the Nuggets tomorrow night. However; with their poor history playing in Phoenix, it will probably take everything they have to secure a win.