Suns 110, Trail Blazers 92
PHOENIX -- Point guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight combined for 40 points as the Phoenix Suns outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers 110-92 on Friday night.
The Suns evened their record at 1-1 and the Trail Blazers fell to 1-1. The teams play again Saturday night at Portland.
Bledsoe had 22 points thanks to 10-of-11 free throw shooting. Knight added 18 points and Tyson Chandler had 15 points and 13 rebounds while patrolling the paint for the Suns.
The Blazers were led by Damian Lillard with 24 points and CJ McCollum with 16. But the high-scoring backcourt combined to make only 14 of 42 shots from the field. Al Farouq Aminu added 16 points and 10 boards.
The Suns, hoping that they've put together a more competitive defensive roster than last season, limited the Blazers to 39.5 percent shooting from the field.
Chandler, the Suns' newest center, flashed an ability to keep up with the team's fast pace, scoring nine of the Suns' first 19 points as they grabbed a 27-23 lead after the first quarter.
McCollum hit a mid-range jumper, a driving layup and a 3-pointer off a fast break as the Blazers pulled into a 37-37 tie.
Then Suns backup guard Ronnie Price gave the Suns a lift by forcing the pace and scoring six points in the final two minutes of the first half, which ended with the Suns leading 55-49.
The Suns pushed the pace in part thanks to Blazers turnovers and gradually broke the game open in the third quarter.
T.J. Warren scored on a floater in the lane and a on a fast-break dunk off a steal to close out the quarter for an 83-69 lead.
The Suns pushed the lead to 102-80 in the fourth quarter and managed to coast to the finish.
NOTES: The Suns installed Steve Nash, arguably the greatest player in franchise history, into their Ring of Honor at halftime. Before the game, the two-time MVP acknowledged the honor. "I really struggle with being applauded." Yet when it comes to the race-horse pace the Suns used to with great success, Nash didn't hold back. "It's amazing to think what we accomplished. We changed the way the game is played. It's not a championship, but it's incredibly rewarding." Suns coach Jeff Hornacek pointed out Nash's teams weren't the game's first to emphasize the fast break. "That was the first really small team. Would that work without Steve Nash as commander? Maybe, but probably not." ... Blazers G CJ McCollum, who ranked seventh in the NBA in preseason scoring at 18.3, put up a career-high 37 points in the team's opener Wednesday. ... The Suns have won eight of their last nine home games against the Trail Blazers.