Blazers Let Phoenix Hang Around, Smash Suns Late 120-106

The Portland Trail Blazers ended their three-game road trip with a big win against the worst team in the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns (11-39) led at the end of the first quarter and only trailed by four at halftime.

Portland used a 20-4 run during the third and fourth quarters to separate from Phoenix and win 120-106. Suns Guard Devin Booker led the way for all scorers with 27 points.

The Blazers (30-20) finished with three players scoring at least 20 points. Starters, Damian Lillard (24 points) and C.J. McCollum (20), and off the bench, Jake Layman (20) kept Phoenix at bay.

Jusuf Nurkic didn’t shoot well from the field (4-of-13), but he got to the free throw line and made all eight attempts. Nurkic scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The starting forwards continued to struggle for Portland. Al-Farouq Aminu scored fewer than 10 points for the third straight game with seven in Phoenix. To give Aminu some credit, he appeared to dislocate his pinkie finger–on his non-shooting hand–in the first quarter and only played a total of 16 minutes.

Maurice Harkless scored under 10 points for the third time in four games with five against the Suns.

Portland returns to the Moda Center for a matchup Saturday night against Trae Young and the (15-32) Atlanta Hawks.

@1029TheGame