The Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers square off in a 2016-2017 NBA Preseason game to be held at the Moda Center on Friday, Oct. 7.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 10:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Phoenix had split their first two preseason games after pulling off a 91-86 win over the San Antonio Spurs in their opener before dropping a 104-99 decision against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Head coach Earl Watson started mainstays Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, and Alex Len with lesser-used TJ Warren and Marquese Chris versus the Jazz as Jared Dudley is currently nursing a right knee tendinitis.
The starting frontcourt played heavy minutes, especially Warren, who logged in 30 to produce 15 points, four rebounds, and three shot blocks in a losing effort. Bledsoe and Booker were in for limited minutes, but both were still productive with 11 and 13 points respectively and a combined seven rebounds and seven assists.
Brandon Knight came off the bench and fired a team-high 17 points to lead the Suns' offense.
Phoenix generally played well, especially the bench with rookie Tyler Ulis, this year's 34th overall pick, contributing 12 points, four rebounds, and an assist in 16 minutes. However, the Suns just can't match Utah's torrid shooting as the Jazz shot almost 50 percent from the field in the entire game.
Meanwhile, Portland played only one game so far in the preseason and it was a 98-89 victory over the same Jazz squad on Monday.
The Blazers displayed their roster depth against Utah in the whole match as bench players Evan Turner, Allen Crabbe, Ed Davis, and Shabazz Napier all performed well and had significant playing time throughout the game.
The foursome combined for 35 bench points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists to help the team pull off a convincing win over the Jazz.
Some of the starters were also impressive, especially the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who contributed 16 and 11 points respectively with five assists each playing in limited minutes only.
Prediction
The Blazers will be too much to handle for the Suns even in a meaningless preseason matchup. Portland's bench is expected to shine once again and head coach Terry Stotts squad is the favorite to win this game.
