Just when you think the Phoenix Suns are about to enter a funk, they escape. On Tuesday, a 19-point deficit in the first quarter was swiftly taken care of and eventually brought on Phoenix decisively beating the Portland Trail Blazers 130-125.
Collin Gillespie scored a career-high 30 points (10-for-17), also tying his previous best for 3s with eight. He added 10 assists and one turnover, sparking a lot of Phoenix’s ridiculous 20-for-41 (49%) shooting from 3.
After Sunday’s anomaly of an offensive performance in terms of how the Suns went about producing just 93 points, the wonder was if more time without Devin Booker (right ankle sprain) and Jalen Green (right hamstring injury management/left hip contusion) would start to wear down the offense.
The start of the night looked like that.
There was a ton of early energy from Portland, who had lost five straight after having one of the best records in the NBA since Christmas and were missing their All-Star Deni Avdija (low back strain). The Blazers hit six 3s in the first five minutes and would go up by 17 in less than six minutes.
All of Portland’s 41 first-quarter points were in the paint, behind the 3-point line or at the foul line. Some of that surge from the league’s worst 3-point shooting team included center Donovan Clingan tying his career high of 3-pointers made (3) just over two minutes into the game.
The inevitable Suns response was there, even before halftime.
A 13-5 close to the first quarter cut the Portland lead to 11 and then a 37-30 second quarter for the Suns fueled by the usual relentless hustle of Jordan Goodwin and shot-making from the guards somehow had this at a five-point deficit for the half.
Gillespie and Grayson Allen kept pouring it on out of halftime, with Allen knocking down a trio of triples and Gillespie adding one for a 12-6 beginning to the second half for Phoenix to improbably retake the lead. The Suns hit eight 3s in the third quarter to Portland’s one, allowing them to go up seven entering the fourth quarter.
If that wasn’t a sign it was the Suns’ night, Ryan Dunn converted on a pair of 3s in the mid-fourth quarter to give the Suns their biggest lead to that point, 12.
Portland was able to cut it to four with under 90 seconds remaining, but Allen closed up shop with a gorgeous step-back 3.
Allen finished with 24 points, and his efforts with Gillespie helped cover a 3-for-16 night out of Dillon Brooks.
Goodwin continues to play phenomenal basketball and ended up with 16 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. He’s the first Phoenix reserve to do that since Cedric Ceballos in 1991, per Stathead.
Mark Williams bounced back nicely in the second half to finish with 24 points and 12 rebounds after his incredible inconsistencies as of late persisted in that first quarter specifically.
Second-chance points were 39-23 Blazers, a margin that is often a death sentence for Phoenix.