Suns at Trail Blazers
Phoenix guard Devin Booker is making his mark as one of the NBA's top shooters and he recently turned 20 years old. The second-year sharpshooter scored 77 points over the past two games and looks for a third consecutive spectacular outing when the Suns visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
Booker scored 38 points in a victory over New Orleans and topped that with a career-best 39 in Sunday's 119-108 loss to the Los Angeles, becoming the first Phoenix player to score 38 or more in consecutive games since former All-Star Tom Chambers during the 1989-90 season. "It's about wins and losses," Booker said after Sunday's game. "Maybe later in my career, I can look back on things like that but now I'm in the mindset where I am ready to get wins. Everybody looks good when you win and that's what we are trying to do. Scoring as many points as you want and not making the playoffs is not a good look, so my ultimate goal is to make the playoffs." One of Phoenix's two wins this season came against the Trail Blazers, when guard Eric Bledsoe's high-arching 3-pointer at the buzzer of overtime dropped through the net for a 118-115 victory. Portland shooting guard C.J. McCollum matched his career best of 37 points during Sunday's 100-94 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE SUNS (2-5): While Booker has been terrific with a 23-point average, coach Earl Watson isn't thrilled with a defense allowing a league-worst 113.3 points, or with some of the untimely miscues. "One thing you can't do is you can't cheat the game," Watson told reporters. "If you come out and you think the game is just going to turn if you halfway do anything, it always comes back to haunt you in the end." The Suns have allowed at least 111 points in six of their seven games and are averaging 115 points in their two victories.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (4-3): McCollum drained six 3-pointers against Memphis in his best effort of the season, which came after he tallied a season-low nine points against Dallas in the previous game. Point guard Damian Lillard was battling thumb and ankle injuries and suffering through a 3-for-11 shooting performance, which created plenty of opportunities for McCollum (13-of-23) to hoist up shots. Lillard's 19-point outing was his lowest of the season as he is averaging 32 points and shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Suns won three of the past four meetings.
2. Portland G/F Evan Turner was scoreless in 23 minutes against Memphis after a 1-of-8 shooting performance in his previous outing.
3. Phoenix G Brandon Knight scored a season-worst two points on 1-of-8 shooting against the Lakers and is shooting just 32.6 percent from the field.