It wasn’t quite the 30-point blowout it likely should have been, but the Phoenix Suns got the job done on Tuesday night with a 120-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers to make it four straight
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both didn’t dominate this game, nor chunks of it, but constantly sprinkled in contributions to end with stat lines that are about as impressive as they normally are.
Durant reached 25-plus points for the 13th straight game with 31 on 13-of-21 shooting and added four rebounds, nine assists and three turnovers. Booker was 9-of-20 for 28 points with three rebounds, six assists and one turnover
“I think we tightened some things up defensively that we’ve been working on,” Booker said of the key to the win. “More communication, talking to each other. I always say that’s the key for our transition offense, is if we’re getting stops and forcing long rebounds into transition buckets.
Head coach Frank Vogel shouted out a specific defensive coverage the Suns addressed well after making it a point of emphasis beforehand. Phoenix had 20 fastbreak points.
The Blazers still showed some moxie to not let this game trail off like it could have.
Portland’s offensive process is a rough watch right now, which can be heavily attributed to the absences of Scoot Henderson (right ankle sprain) and Anfernee Simons (right thumb ligament tear). The Blazers opted to run everything around the returning Deandre Ayton, getting him the ball within 15 feet and letting him go to work.
The Suns are aware of the tells, scheming for helpers to come over as soon as Ayton brings the ball down or puts it down for strip attempts Ayton makes rather easy. The big man was effective and efficient, using his dribble to better position himself in a way he has to every night in order to become a reliable individual scorer. He finished with 18 points (9-of-14), eight rebounds, four assists and two turnovers.