Portland @ Phoenix preview
Footprint Center
Last Meeting ( Oct 21, 2022 ) Phoenix 111, Portland 113
Jerami Grant sank a fadeaway jumper from the right baseline as time expired to give the Portland Trail Blazers a dramatic 108-106 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Grant scored a season-best 30 points and capped his night in style as Justise Winslow lobbed a high-arching in-bounds pass in his direction with one second remaining.
Grant was able to gain separation from Phoenix big man Deandre Ayton to make the catch and knock down the shot as Portland defeated the Suns for the second time this season.
Jusuf Nurkic recorded 14 points and eight rebounds, Winslow had 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and Nassir Little also had 12 points for the Trail Blazers. Keon Johnson tallied 11 points.
Devin Booker scored 25 points for Phoenix, which had a five-game winning streak halted. Ayton contributed 24 points and eight rebounds after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury.
Damion Lee scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter for Suns. Mikal Bridges added 12 points and Chris Paul had 11 assists.
This was the first of back-to-back games between the teams. They also play Saturday night in Phoenix. The Suns have only lost to the Trail Blazers this season.
Portland star Damian Lillard (calf) missed his third straight game and backcourt mate Anfernee Simons (foot) also sat out.
Phoenix's Cameron Johnson injured his right knee in the first quarter and missed the rest of the contest.
Nurkic drained a 3-pointer with 38.7 seconds left to give Portland a 104-103 lead. Booker answered with a trey to give the Suns a two-point edge with 31.3 seconds remaining.
Nurkic scored on a putback with 23.4 seconds left.
Phoenix shot 43.4 percent from the field, including 14 of 34 from 3-point range.
The Trail Blazers connected on 50.6 percent of their field-goal attempts and were 10 of 23 from behind the arc.
The Suns trailed by 15 points midway through the quarter before making a run in the final period.
Damion Lee made two 3-pointers in a 40-second span during an 8-1 spurt to bring Phoenix within 93-92 with 7:23 left in the game.
Three-plus minutes later, Lee sank a corner 3-pointer to knot the score at 97 with 4:16 to go.
Phoenix inched ahead on Booker's short shot with 2:52 left for its first lead since early in the second quarter.
Nurkic answered inside 23 seconds later to tie it at 101 but Ayton scored on a tip-in to put the Suns back ahead with 46.1 seconds left.
Grant scored 16 of his 18 first-half points in the second quarter to help Portland hold a 59-49 lead.
--Field Level Media