The Phoenix Suns are still looking for consistency and better health as they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at the Footprint Center.
Kevin Durant, who missed three games due to an ankle injury, returned to the Suns’ lineup and scored 30 points in a win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night. However, the Suns weren’t fully healthy, as star guard Bradley Beal missed the game with knee soreness. This has led to rumors about the Suns possibly making a trade, with Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler’s name being mentioned.
Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker, the Suns’ Big Three, have only played together for 175 minutes this season. Beal is listed as day-to-day.
Booker has been carrying most of the scoring load, averaging just under 26 points per game. He tied his season high with six three-pointers in the win over the Jazz. Suns center Jusuf Nurkic also returned after missing two weeks with a quad injury.
Suns fans were happy to have Durant back, as the team has been hovering around .500 but has higher expectations.
“He is such a dynamic scorer,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said of Durant after Friday’s win. “He can just shoot over guys and he creates double-teams (in the post) where he pulls guys in. He’s a great scorer and great playmaker.”
On the other hand, Portland has lost nine of its last 11 games, including a loss to the Spurs on Friday where they blew a 17-point lead in the second half. Despite the loss, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups remains optimistic.
“I was proud of our group, I thought we played hard as heck, and there are so many things we can learn from,” Billups said.
Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan returned after missing almost three weeks with a sprained MCL. He played 15 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing seven rebounds. It was his first game without blocking a shot in his young NBA career.
“He was a bit rusty down there, but you see the impact he has at the rim,” Billups said. “It’s not just protecting the rim, but rebounding the ball. I thought it was OK.”
Portland’s struggles continue on offense. They are ranked 29th in the NBA in field-goal shooting at 43.8 percent and 27th in scoring at 106.8 points per game. They are also allowing 116.1 points per game.
Anfernee Simons leads the Blazers with 17.1 points per game and tied a season high with 30 points in the loss to the Spurs. Jerami Grant scored 22 of his 32 points in the third quarter, which was tied for the eighth-most points in a quarter by a player this season.
“They have both struggled offensively,” Billups said. “So it was great to see them both kind of look normal. I mean 22 points in a quarter isn’t normal for anybody, but (Jerami) makes those shots at a pretty good clip and Ant got off and got going.”
The Suns won their first meeting with the Blazers 103-97 on Nov. 2 in Phoenix.
