Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers, struggling with a five-game losing streak, will look to turn their fortunes around as they host the Phoenix Suns in a late-night matchup on Tuesday at 11 p.m. EST in Portland, Oregon. Currently, the Blazers hold a record of 23 wins and 27 losses, placing them tenth in the Western Conference, while the Suns stand at 30-20, sitting in seventh place.
Recent Performance
Portland has faced difficulties recently, particularly in games that have been decided by significant margins, sporting a 9-12 record in such instances. However, they have managed a respectable 18-14 against teams from the Western Conference. Their skill from beyond the arc is noteworthy, with an average of 14 made 3-pointers per game, which surpasses the 12.1 3-pointers they concede on average.
In contrast, the Suns excel with an average of 113.8 points per game but have been challenged defensively, giving up 117.9 points per contest. Phoenix has a strong fast break offense, currently ranking third in the conference with 15.7 fast break points per outing, led by Devin Booker, who averages 3.4 fast break points himself.
Previous Encounter
The upcoming game marks the second encounter between these teams this season; they met previously on November 19, where the Suns triumphed over the Blazers with a score of 127-110, highlighted by Booker’s 19-point performance. Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe put on a show as well, finishing with 29 points in that match.
Key Players
Key players to watch include Donovan Clingan of Portland, who has been shooting impressively at 51.8% with an average of 11.1 points, and Sharpe, who has ramped up his scoring to 22.9 points over his last ten games. For the Suns, Dillon Brooks is leading with an average of 21.1 points and 3.6 rebounds, while Collin Gillespie has averaged 3.3 successful 3-pointers in his recent ten-game stretch.
Defensive Challenges and Injuries
Over their last ten games, the Trail Blazers have averaged 110.1 points while shooting 44.5%, whereas the Suns have scored an average of 109.7 points at 44.9% efficiency. Defensively, the Blazers’ opponents have averaged 114.0 points per game, pointing to potential vulnerabilities in Portland’s defense.
Injuries could play a crucial role in the matchup, with the Trail Blazers missing key players such as Damian Lillard (Achilles), Scoot Henderson (hamstring), and Matisse Thybulle (knee), among others. The Suns will also be without Devin Booker (ankle) and Jalen Green (hip), which could impact their offensive output.
Conclusion
Both teams will be eager to improve their standings and break their current trends, making this a highly anticipated clash in the growing intensity of the season.
This report combines insights derived from data provided by Sportradar and generated by technology from Data Skrive.
