Suns outlast Blazers in OT
PHOENIX -- Eric Bledsoe hit a 25-foot, 3-point shot as time expired in overtime to give the Phoenix Suns their first win of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers, 118-115 on Wednesday.
The Suns led by six with 38.5 seconds left in overtime, but couldn't hold the lead. Maurice Harkness was fouled on a 3-point shot and made all three free throws with 36.5 seconds left, and Damian Lillard converted a 3-point play on a driving layup and free throw with 6.4 second left to tie the game again at 115.
But Bledsoe went up against Lillard and stepped back for his winning shot as the buzzer sounded.
T.J. Warren led the Suns with 27 points and Bledsoe had seven of his 20 in overtime including the game-winner. Alex Len had 18 points and Tyson Chandler grabbed 18 rebounds for the Suns (1-4).
Lillard led the Blazers with 27 points and C.J. McCollum had 24 for the Blazers.
Portland led 90-83 after Lillard's driving layup with 5:53 left in regulation. But the Suns came roaring back with a 10-2 run, with Warren's driving 6-foot bank shot giving Phoenix a 93-92 lead.
McCollum gave the Blazer the lead back with a 3-point play and Lillard stretched the lead to 97-93 on a 14-foot jumper with 1:41 to go. But the Suns answered again and tied the game on two Warren free throws with 1:00 left.
Bledsoe gave the Suns the lead when he stole the ball from Lillard and, after a timeout, scored on a driving layup with 1.1 seconds left. But after advancing the ball to midcourt, Mason Plumlee found Meyers Leonard coming off a screen and Leonard beat the buzzer with a layup to tie the game at 103 and force overtime.
The Suns scored the first basket of the game but the Blazers reeled off the next 14 points, eight of them by McCollum. His second 3-pointer of the run made it 14-3 Portland with 8:30 left.
The Suns needed the rest of the quarter, but they made up the stagger. Len had six points during a 10-2 Phoenix run over the final 2:39 and his tip-dunk with 26 seconds left tied the game at 28 after one period.
McCollum had 12 points in the quarter including two 3-pointers for Portland, who made 5 of 7 as a team.
The second period was more of the same. The Blazers jumped out and led by as many as seven going up 50-43 on a 3-pointer by Maurice Harkness with 4:07 left. But the Suns closed the half on a 14-3 run, with Bledsoe scoring five of his seven first half points. His two free throws with 40.2 second left gave Phoenix a 57-53 lead at the break.
Len and Warren each had 12 points in the half.
Len had a pair of 3-point plays in the final 3:06 of the third quarter and the Suns took a 76-73 lead.
NOTES: Suns G Devin Booker returned to the lineup after missing the Monday loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a right big toe injury. ... Suns G Eric Bledsoe has scored 30 points or more eight times in his career. Four of those games came in 10 meetings with the Blazers. Only Walter Davis (seven) and Kevin Johnson (six) have more 30-point games against Portland in Suns history. ... Portland G Damian Lillard's 136 points in the first four games of the season were the most ever by a Blazer in such a span. The record had been 124 by Kiki Vandeweghe in 1984-85. ... Suns C Alex Len missed 17 of 24 shots in the previous three games. "He's in transition with his game," Suns coach Earl Watson said, "but right now, what can you help us do to win? Easy: protecting the rim, rebounding, energy and be an anchor in the paint." ... Watson played the final 24 games of his 13-year NBA career with Portland.