Suns at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers can reach the 50-win plateau for the 12th time in franchise history when they host the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Trail Blazers have won four straight to move closer to sealing a playoff spot after losing eight of their previous 11, and they face a Suns team battling for the final two postseason bids in the Western Conference. Phoenix lost its last two contests and goes into Friday in a tie with Memphis for eight place, a half-game behind Dallas.
Portland also is fighting for home-court advantage in the first round, standing one game behind Houston for fourth place, and has topped expectations already. “I don’t think even the organization would have put us in this spot,” Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge told the Oregonian. “But guys have come in with focus, and it’s paid off.” The Suns won two of three against the Trail Blazers this season – all during the first month.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE SUNS (44-31): Phoenix must recover from giving up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday after dropping a game to the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. Leading scorer Goran Dragic (20.4) made only 8-of-27 from the field the last two games and Eric Bledsoe, averaging 17.3, was 1-of-9 from the field against the Lakers. Gerald Green scored 18 per game in March and poured in 15 points against the Clippers as eight players reached double figures in the loss.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-27): Portland lost four of seven games while Aldridge was out with an injury and have won four straight since his return as he has produced at least 25 points in three of them. Aldridge averages a double-double (23.3 points, 11.1 rebounds) and Damian Lillard scores in 21.1 per contest after pouring in 34 in the 124-112 win at the Lakers on Tuesday. Wesley Matthews is having his best season, averaging 16.3 points while starting every game and making 186 from 3-point range – fourth most in the league.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Phoenix PF Markieff Morris is averaging 16.5 points over the last 23 games – all coming off the bench.
2. Trail Blazers C Robin Lopez reached 400 career games Tuesday and averaged 12.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in the last five.
3. Portland is second in the league in scoring (106.8) and Phoenix ranks seventh (105.4).