The Portland Trail Blazers are in a slump, and it’s hard to watch. Six straight losses—that’s the harsh reality they’re facing after a 130-125 defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. But here’s where it gets interesting: the Suns pulled off this win without their star player, Devin Booker, who’s sidelined with a right ankle sprain. And this is the part most people miss—the Blazers were also missing their leading scorer, Deni Avdija, due to a lower back strain. So, was this a case of who was absent, or who stepped up? Let’s dive in.
Collin Gillespie stole the spotlight with a career-best 30 points, including eight 3-pointers, and added 10 assists for good measure. Mark Williams wasn’t far behind, dropping 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Grayson Allen matched Williams’ 24 points on an efficient 11-of-14 shooting, while Jordan Goodwin chipped in with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. For the Blazers, Jerami Grant led the charge with 23 points, Donovan Clingan notched a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Shaedon Sharpe added 19 points. Newcomer Vít Krejčí made his Portland debut with five points after arriving in a trade with Atlanta.
The game started with Portland racing to a 41-30 lead after the first quarter, but Phoenix chipped away, narrowing the gap to 72-67 by halftime. The turning point came in the third quarter, where the Suns outscored the Blazers 34-22, taking control for good. Mark Williams’ layup with 3:55 left in the third put the Suns ahead 88-87, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Turnovers proved costly for Portland, as they coughed up the ball 17 times—six more than Phoenix.
But here’s the controversial part: Did the Blazers lose this game, or did the Suns win it? Without Booker and Jalen Green, Phoenix’s bench stepped up in a big way, raising questions about depth and resilience. Meanwhile, Portland’s absence of Avdija highlighted their reliance on a single star. Is this a team issue, or just a rough patch? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Looking ahead, the Suns return home to face Golden State on Thursday, while the Trail Blazers host Memphis on Friday. Will Portland snap their losing streak, or is this just the beginning of a deeper struggle? Only time will tell.
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This story was created using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
