The Portland Trail Blazers took apart the Phoenix Suns in several categories during Saturday night’s 127-108 win at the Moda Center.
The Blazers won points in the paint (66-32), fastbreak points (29-7), second-chance points (15-8) and turnovers (10-19).
Winning these areas allowed the Blazers to survive shooting just 18.8% from three-point range in the second half.
Expect the Suns to come out hungry to reverse those trends Monday night after having a day off in Portland. They played Saturday night after winning Friday night at Golden State.
The Suns can’t afford to lose games against a 20-29 team. Phoenix (25-23) is tied for eighth place in the Western Conference with the Dallas Mavericks (26-24), who believe they got better defensively by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis on Saturday night.
Right behind those two teams are the Sacramento Kings (24-24) and Warriors (24-24), tied for 10th place, just a game behind the Suns.
The Kings added Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal that sent All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox to the 12th-place San Antonio Spurs (21-25).
So, things have become more interesting in the bottom half of the Western Conference Standings, putting pressure on the Suns to remain ahead of the competition.
Prediction: The Suns will likely have a better offensive night. But can they deal with the Blazers’ offense? Center Deandre Ayton is a problem for his former team, which desperately needs a center. And the Blazers showed Saturday that they can win as a team with seven players scoring in double figures. Still, Phoenix has been the superior team this season and won’t leave Portland without a victory.
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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. PHOENIX SUNS
What: Trail Blazers (20-29) vs. Suns (25-23), 7 p.m., Monday.
Where: Moda Center.
Series: The Suns defeated the Blazers 103-97 on Nov. 2 and 116-109 on Dec. 15, both in Phoenix. Portland dominated the Suns 127-108 on Saturday.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: KATU (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Xfinity: 302 and 1170. DirecTV: 688-1. KUNP (Antenna: 47.1. Xfinity: 16, 302, 1170. DirecTV: 47. Spectrum: 184).
How to Watch: Rip City TV Network. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with the help of an HDTV antenna on your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland). These antennas are very easy to install and cost around $20. You can purchase one at your local Bi-Mart or Fred Meyer, or buy one online at Walmart or from Amazon and have it shipped quickly to your home. Here are some instructions on how to set up an HDTV antenna on your television or other display. You can find out more about which channel Rip City TV Network is on in your area by using the channel finder here.
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ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)
Moneyline: POR +150 | PHX -180
Spread: POR +4 | Over/Under: 230
INJURIES
Blazers: Robert Williams III (right hand soreness) is questionable. Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) is out.
Suns: None.
NEXT UP
The Blazers host the Indiana Pacers (27-20) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
