Suns Eclipse the Blazers in Phoenix

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Bradley Beal scored 21, Jusuf Nurkić added 18 and a balanced attack from the Phoenix Suns eclipsed the Portland Trail Blazers at the Footprint Center, 109-88. Portland was led by Scoot Henderson and Jerami Grant but could not find enough offense as they struggled towards a blowout defeat.

The Blazers continue to sit at the bottom of the Western Conference at 9-23 while the Suns tighten their hold on the eight seed, 18-15. Both squads missed key players as Phoenix went without star forward Kevin Durant (ham string) and guard Damion Lee (knee).

Portland continues on without starters Deandre Ayton (knee), Anfernee Simons (illness), Toumani Camara (knee) and backup center Duop Reath (back). Shaedon Sharpe returned from an adductor strain but played on a minutes restriction.

Star Efforts

As Devin Booker struggled to 10 points, he found other ways to contribute with eight rebounds and six assists. Phoenix offset his struggles with a balanced offense. Bradley Beal’s game-high 21 led the offense. Jusuf Nurkić provided a center of gravity for Phoenix, tallying 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Bol Bol, Eric Gordon and Chimezie Metu all finished in double digits, powering the Suns’ game-winning runs in the middle quarters. Bol finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, Gordon added 12 and Metu finished with 14 points and five rebounds as he filled in for Durant.

For the Blazers, it was all about silver linings. Scoot Henderson continued to find his groove for Portland, providing the closest thing to a stable presence on both offense and defense. He finished with 17 points, three rebounds and six assists while adding in a steal and two blocks. Unfortunately, he contributed five turnovers as well.

Jerami Grant finished with 15 points, scoring most of them in the first quarter, but struggled to find good looks for the rest of the game. Malcolm Brogdon added 10 points and five assists, while Jabari Walker continued to look impressive off the bench with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Game Recap

The Blazers came out swinging in Phoenix, determined to reverse past trends of losing the first quarter. After matching the Suns for the first two minutes, the Blazers jumped out to the lead on a 13-4 run. They finished the quarter up 29-20.

“At times it feels like we can be the best defensive team in the NBA and at times it feels like we’re a whole different team,” Henderson spoke to reporters after the game.

The key stat has always been limiting turnovers. “One turnover in the first quarter I thought was amazing,” added coach Chauncey Billups post-game, “and then the second quarter happened.”

“We had eight turnovers and they jumped out on us, 35-18 at the quarter’s end,” Billups highlighted, “We couldn’t score.”

Phoenix scored 14 unanswered points to take hold of the lead. It would grow to 51-41 before the Blazers found enough offense to close the quarter down eight, 55-47. Bol Bol played vital minutes, scoring from beyond the arc and gobbling up rebounds. The Blazers’ depleted second unit struggled to find stops.

And the Blazers would continue to struggle to score in the third quarter. They followed up an 18 point quarter with another 14 point. Beal, Nurkić and Metu led the starting unit with 20 points in the quarter alone.

The home team’s lead would rise to 86-61, the last quarter of play became a formality, and the Suns would beat the Trail Blazers, 109-88.

“We didn’t play well enough to win,” Billups said simply.

Key Stats

The Blazers shot 41.3% from the floor, making 33 baskets on 80 attempts. Their three-point shot was poor, finishing with eight makes on 30 attempts for 26.7%. They made 19 trips to the line, but only made 14 attempts for 73.7%.

The Suns finished 47.% form the floor, with 38 makes on 80 attempts. Their three-point shot fared better, making 11 baskets on 29 casts for 37.9%. The key difference came at the free throw line, despite finishing 66.7%, they still made 22 on 33 attempts.

Phoenix finished with more rebounds (47), more assists (24) and more steals (10) than Portland (36/21/6 respectively). The Blazers managed 10 blocks for the game to the Suns’ five. Turnovers were relatively even, with the Suns managing the ball slightly better, 16-18.

Where to Next

The Blazers will continue their seven-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Suns will also play on Wednesday at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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