Suns @ Trail Blazers game thread 1-16-18

[Mainstreet]

Suns open a tough four game road trip tonight by playing the Trail Blazers in Portland tonight. They are coming off a dreadful loss to the Pacers on Sunday.

Game time is sheduled for 8 p.m. Arizona time and will be televised on NBA TV.

Here is more from the ESPN Preview.

The Trail Blazers (22-21) will try to end a three-game losing streak, having fallen to Western Conference playoff contenders -- Houston, New Orleans and Minnesota -- on the final three stops of a recent four-game road trip.

"We've had our hands full," Portland point guard Damian Lillard told the media. "It's a good measuring stick to say, 'OK, these are some of the top teams in the West. Can we do the things we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win?' And we've struggled in those games."

Phoenix (16-28) comes to Moda Center having lost two in a row and four of its last five. The Suns, who had won six of their previous nine outings, got drilled 120-97 by Indiana Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena. To coach Jay Triano, it felt much worse than a 112-95 defeat to Houston last Friday.

"We didn't stick with the philosophy we've been trying to build on the defensive end," Triano told reporters. "I don't know if that's because we were tired, but we were a step slow."

http://www.espn.com/nba/preview?gameId=400975398

 

[Mainstreet]

From a Scott Bordow article at azcentral dated 1-15-18 concerning injuries.

... Marquese Chriss (hip) is listed as doubtful, while Josh Jackson (groin) and T.J. Warren (back) are listed as questionable. Danuel House didn’t make the trip because of the flu. If Warren and Jackson can’t play, Phoenix will be without its top three small forwards.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...ergy-after-lackluster-loss-pacers/1034436001/

 

[Adrian]

scott bordow
@sbordow

Marquese Chriss and T.J Warren out tonight. Josh Jackson will start

 

[SirStefan32]

Oh geez, I was looking forward to watching a decent game. Suns without Warren are awful. The other team can literally keep two players on Booker the entire night.

 

[Hoop Head]

Hopefully Reed plays. I thought he was available for the Indiana game but don't recall seeing him. With Warren and House out he should be able to get some time at SF. I wouldn't mind seeing Bender at SF either but that's unlikely with Chriss being out.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I sure hope the Suns get a prize at the end of this........#@$

 

[SirStefan32]

This stinks of tanking, lol!

 

[Hoop Head]

This stinks of tanking, lol!

That's the only sort of tanking they can do really, which isn't a bad thing. If a player isn't 100% they should bench them. It helps when it's Booker or Warren since their scoring carries the team but it sure makes for some ugly game. They don't have to be ugly, if one of our other young players steps up then they can be a lot of fun but unfortunately they don't seem to step up when it's needed. However seeing Bender start a few games in a row, by necessity at this point, it might allow him to settle into the role a little more so he can play a bit better than he did during his previous start.

 

[pokerface]

That was great the bulls beat the heat last night.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That was great the bulls beat the heat last night.

Now that’s a magical combination.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hopefully Reed plays. I thought he was available for the Indiana game but don't recall seeing him. With Warren and House out he should be able to get some time at SF. I wouldn't mind seeing Bender at SF either but that's unlikely with Chriss being out.

Reed played 5 minutes in the Pacers game and went scoreless.

Although he was not impressive, he had a +7.

 

[Mainstreet]

Oh geez, I was looking forward to watching a decent game. Suns without Warren are awful. The other team can literally keep two players on Booker the entire night.

Although this will be the Trail Blazers first game after coming home from a four game road trip (losing the last three games) I expect them to be hungry.

However, teams tend not to play their best the first game back but I don't think the Suns will be so lucky.

 

[hsandhu]

No warren, hopefully we can keep it under 25.

Tough schedule plus injuries mean we may not win a game until our home game against ny.

Hopefully some of the tank teams ahead of us keep winning, as they have been lately.

 

[Hoop Head]

Reed played 5 minutes in the Pacers game and went scoreless.

Although he was not impressive, he had a +7.

I missed that. I only watched the 2nd and 3rd quarter. It was an ugly game and couldn't keep my attention. It's one thing to be blown out by the Rockets, it's another to get blown out by the Pacers, without Myles Turner. The Pacers are one of the few Eastern Conference teams I follow because I have a lot of family in Indiana that talk about them on Social Media and they're unexpectedly good this year but that doesn't make them fun to watch.

 

[Mainstreet]

I missed that. I only watched the 2nd and 3rd quarter. It was an ugly game and couldn't keep my attention. It's one thing to be blown out by the Rockets, it's another to get blown out by the Pacers, without Myles Turner. The Pacers are one of the few Eastern Conference teams I follow because I have a lot of family in Indiana that talk about them on Social Media and they're unexpectedly good this year but that doesn't make them fun to watch.

The Pacers loss was much worse IMO.

 

[Mainstreet]

No warren, hopefully we can keep it under 25.

Tough schedule plus injuries mean we may not win a game until our home game against ny.

Hopefully some of the tank teams ahead of us keep winning, as they have been lately.

The Magic beat the Timberwoves tonight. It would be good if the Mavericks beat the Nuggets.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns are not playing any defense. The Blazers are 8-8 from the field.

Suns trail 18-11 with 7:36 in 1st quarter.

 

[Mainstreet]

Josh Jackson (6) and Devin Booker (9) are a breath of fresh air.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ulis with a nice pass to Len under the basket and he says what's that.

 

[Mainstreet]

End of 1st quarter:

Blazers 36 - Suns 31

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Jackson looking good so far.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jackson looking good so far.

Yes. But then he goes and misses two easy shots.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Yes. But then he goes and misses two easy shots.

Literally right after I said that too...no more praising Jackson during the game! Suns are getting way too impatient. Throwing up random 3's for no rhyme or reason.

 

[Mainstreet]

Shabazz Napier will be a restricted free agent this summer. However, he is more of a shooting PG.

 

[Mainstreet]

Halftime:

Trail Blazers 66 - Suns 51

An ugly end to the first half for the Suns.