Trail Blazers 109, Suns 86
Damian Lillard led the way with 19 points and seven assists as host Portland took advantage of stumbling Phoenix and clinched a playoff spot.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have won four straight to lock up their spot in the postseason and move within a half-game of the Los Angeles Clippers for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. Nicolas Batum and Arron Afflalo scored 16 points apiece for Portland.
Gerald Green and T.J. Warren each scored 13 points off the bench and Eric Bledsoe led the starters with 12 as the Suns fell 4 1/2 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 8 spot. Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris scored 11 points each for Phoenix, which has dropped four in a row.
Batum hit a pair of 3-pointers and Afflalo added another as the Trail Blazers ended the first quarter with an 18-5 run to grab a nine-point lead. The advantage swelled to 49-33 on Aldridge’s 3-pointer with 4:33 left in the half before a quick burst cut it to 55-49 at the break.
Lillard scored eight points as Portland burst out of the locker room with a 22-6 run to break the game open. Chris Kaman’s basket with 3:11 left in the third made it 90-61 and the Trail Blazers let the reserves take care of the fourth quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Portland’s magic number to clinch the Northwest Division is down to one. … Phoenix C Alex Len left the game in the third quarter and headed for X-rays on what is believed to be a broken nose. … Suns G Brandon Knight (ankle, heel) sat for the ninth time in 10 games.