The Portland Trail Blazers have been on a roll lately, and the Phoenix Suns experienced it firsthand in their recent matchup. Now, the Suns get another shot at the Blazers on Monday night as they visit Portland for the second game of a two-game set in the Pacific Northwest.
In Saturday’s first game, the Blazers dominated with a 127-108 victory, leading by as many as 27 points and winning for the seventh time in their last eight games. Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton, who played five seasons with the Suns before joining Portland, reminded his former teammates of his presence by scoring 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting. This was Ayton’s fourth consecutive game with 20 or more points, and he’s averaging 22.3 points and 11 rebounds during this span.
The Suns, on the other hand, have been struggling to keep up with Portland’s recent form. Despite Devin Booker’s impressive 37-point performance, his second straight 30-point effort, the Suns couldn’t overcome the Blazers’ strong performance. Kevin Durant added 22 points, marking his 24th game with 20 or more points in the last 25 games.
The Suns allowed 98 points over the first three quarters, which sabotaged any real chance they had of winning on the second end of a back-to-back. Phoenix had routed the Golden State Warriors 130-105 the night before, but the game against Portland was so one-sided that players on both benches were more interested in the fans’ chatter than watching the final minutes.
The fans were buzzing with initial reports of Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers with Anthony Davis going to the Dallas Mavericks. Durant wasn’t sure what to think at first, but a Suns’ security officer borrowed a fan’s phone to show him the news.
