Blazers represent latest test for winless Suns
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[November 02, 2016]
Nov 1, 2016; Portland, OR, USA;
Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) grabs a rebound in
front of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the
first quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter.
Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
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Blazers represent latest test for winless Suns
The Phoenix Suns are one of the youngest and least experienced teams
in the NBA. Three of their first four opponents are among the top
five teams in the Western Conference. Those are facts. But to at
least one member of the Suns, there still is no excuse for losing.
"We can't keep saying 'schedule' or 'age,'" guard Brandon Knight
said of the Suns' 0-4 start. "At some point, we just have to do what
we're supposed to do and the wins will come. You have to be
consistent and continue to be positive, and it will fall in place."
Phoenix will be gunning for its first victory of the season
Wednesday night when it plays host to the Portland Trail Blazers at
Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns are 0-4 for the first time
since 1996, when they lost their first 13 games on the way to a
40-42 season. They are averaging a league-high 29.3 fouls per game.
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"A lot of our games have been dictated by foul calls," Phoenix guard
Eric Bledsoe said. "We have to stop fouling so much."
On Monday, the Suns got drilled 116-98 by the Los Angeles Clippers
in a game in which they had 20 turnovers, 11 of them in the second
quarter.
"That's a lack of focus," Suns coach Earl Watson said. "We can't let
foul calls disrupt our rhythm mentally. We have to weather the storm
and be mentally tough and play through that."
The Suns hope to regain the services of guard Devin Booker, who
missed the Monday game with a sprained toe.
They will have the advantage of facing Portland with the Blazers on
the second of back-to-back nights after a 127-104 loss to the Golden
State Warriors in Oregon. Blazers guard Damian Lillard said the
lopsided defeat should serve as incentive to play well.
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![](../images/110216PICS/sports65.jpg)
Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) grabs a rebound in front of
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first
quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter.
Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
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"We should be excited about the opportunity to get back out there
(Wednesday night) after the type of game we had tonight," said
Lillard, who scored a game-high 31 points against Golden State.
The Warriors broke open a tight game by outscoring the Blazers 41-20
in the third quarter. Portland made only 7 of 30 shots from 3-point
range until Jake Layman and Noah Vonleh combined to sink 7 of 9 in
the closing minutes of garbage time.
"You have nights like that," Lillard said after the game. "The third
quarter, we slipped up. We didn't communicate as well as we did the
first half. We allowed (the Warriors) to get clean looks, and they
got it going.
"When we aren't making shots and they are, we have to be able to do
the small things. Limit them to one possession, help each other out
on off-ball screens, protect the paint, have a tighter shell on the
weak side. We have to make it harder for them to make shots as well.
Tonight, we didn't do that."
Layman, a rookie out of Maryland, finished with 17 points in eight
minutes Tuesday in his NBA debut.
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