Suns at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are experiencing their worst stretch of the season and look for their second straight win when they host the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. Portland held on for a 103-102 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday for only its third win in the last 11 games. The Suns will be seeking a rebound of their own after blowing a late seven-point lead against Memphis on Monday and falling 102-101.
Phoenix recorded a 118-113 home win over Portland on Jan. 21 as guard Eric Bledsoe poured in a career-best 33 points and Isaiah Thomas scored 27 off the bench. Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum tallied a season-best 27 points in that contest while standout forward LaMarcus Aldridge sat out with a thumb injury. Portland guard Damian Lillard is in a deep shooting slump, missing all six 3-point attempts against the Jazz to fall to 2-of-25 from long range over the past three games.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE SUNS (28-22): Thomas has scored more than 20 points in five of the last eight games but he was slumping before a solid second half in which he scored all of his 24 points against the Grizzlies. Thomas was 10-of-35 shooting in the previous three games and struggled in the first half against Memphis before breaking loose for the big second half that included 16 fourth-quarter points. He has played 25 or fewer minutes in each of the last five games as he makes the most of his playing time.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (33-16): Center Robin Lopez returned after sitting out 23 games due to a hand injury and had 11 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes against Utah. Portland has missed the defensive-oriented player who also aids the offense stars on the club due to his screen-setting ability and spacing awareness. “You could feel his impact on the game from the very beginning,” Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters. “Hopefully we’ll be able to ramp up his minutes a little bit but he played the minutes that we kind of anticipated that he’d play.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Phoenix has won seven of the last nine meetings, including the 118-113 victory on Jan. 21.
2. Lillard is 16-of-80 from 3-point range over the last 10 games.
3. Suns F Brandan Wright is 16-of-21 shooting over the past four games.