Donovan Clingan recorded 23 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 92-77 victory over a depleted Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
Jerami Grant also scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting as Portland bounced back from a 157-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, winning five of their last seven games. The Blazers built a 20-point lead late in the third quarter and led 71-57 entering the fourth. Collin Gillespie’s pair of 3-pointers trimmed the deficit to 80-69 with 7:36 remaining, but Grant’s timely 3-pointer stopped the Suns’ rally.
Gillespie led Phoenix with 18 points, and Jalen Green added 13 in a team effort that shot just 36.9% from the field. Coming off a double-overtime win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday, the Suns were held to a season-low 77 points. Both teams struggled with ball control, as Portland committed 21 turnovers and Phoenix had 19.
Portland led 47-40 at halftime, despite Phoenix making only 2 of 19 from 3-point range. Grant paced the Blazers with 12 points in the first half. Portland lost leading scorer Deni Avdija after just one minute due to a lower back injury, compounding a Suns roster already missing key players. Phoenix was without All-Star guard Devin Booker (hip), Dillon Brooks (hand), Grayson Allen (knee/ankle), and Jordan Goodwin (calf), a group that averages over 70 points per game combined.
Up next:
The Trail Blazers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, while the Suns welcome the Boston Celtics.
