The Portland Trail Blazers took the Phoenix Suns’ best shot Monday night at the Moda Center. Portland absorbed it, pushed ahead, and then held on for a clutch, grind-it-out victory in overtime, 121-119.
The win marked the Blazers’ fourth in a row, but the previous three had come relatively easy, each by double-digits. To win in grueling fashion against a team they had beat two days earlier — this time without the advantage of catching them on the second half of a back-to-back — made this victory the most impressive of the bunch and further legitimized their turnaround.
“[W]ith the environment, the fans, the concept those dudes were throwing at us,” said Portland center Deandre Ayton, who produced a monster 25 points and 20 rebounds. “It was real basketball tonight. It was good for the young guys to be a part of that.”
After the Blazers shot out to an early double-digit lead, the Suns woke up and established control of the game. Superstars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 61 points on good efficiency, and the role players were hitting 3s. Phoenix grew a lead as large as nine and kept it around there for much of the second and third quarters, as the pace bogged down. At multiple points, it looked like the Blazers might wilt away, but they continued to respond with winning plays to keep contact.
One of those pivotal stretches came at the 4:17 mark of the third quarter. After the Suns went up 75-68, Portland snatched back the momentum with an 18-5 run to head into the fourth up 86-80. Scoot Henderson was critical in keying the surge, producing seven points and four assists during the third quarter without missing a shot or logging a turnover. Toumani Camara also hit two huge back-to-back 3s to retake the lead, part of his 17 points and 5-7 performance from deep.
“They made some adjustments [from last game], they went under on a lot of screens, tried to protect the paint,” Portland head coach Chauncey Billups said. “ … They did a pretty good job of it, but at some point, you just be bullheaded. You keep going, keep going, and you crack the seal at some point.”
As the game tightened down the stretch in regulation and overtime, Billups leaned heavily on the vets. Ayton played hero in the end against his former team, continuing an impressive stretch of now four straight games with over 20 points. Although Ayton said afterward that this type of performance “is normal for me,” Billups said it may have been the 7-footer’s “best all-around game” during his two seasons as a Blazer. He wasn’t as efficient as he’s been of late (9-22 from the field), but he played with an undeniable force for 42 minutes. His workman-like effort on the glass was arguably the biggest factor in the win.
Ayton corralled nine offensive rebounds, including four in overtime. Two of those came in the last 20 seconds as the Blazers desperately clung to a one-point lead. He complemented his clutch rebounding with clutch free-throw shooting, going 5-6 in the final 10 seconds to seal the victory.
“I was really just trying to be a part of the game and not just sit in the dunker [spot], just move everybody around and get my hand on some type of loose ball,” Ayton said. “Luckily, I was just in position for some of them down the stretch, and it just led to free throws.”
“He’s been the biggest voice on the team,” Billups added about Ayton. “In terms of whether he’s in there or not, whether he’s playing good or not, his leadership hasn’t wavered at all.”
The Suns aren’t world-beaters this year at 25-24, but to Ayton’s earlier point, Monday’s game felt like “real basketball” — in terms of intensity and atmosphere. The Blazers took on the test and walked away winners again.
“I knew that we were going to get their best punch today, and we hung in there, we never gave in, we never let go of the rope,” Billups said. “That’s a great sign of a team.”
