Donovan Clingan posted 23 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 92-77 on Sunday night at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
Jerami Grant matched Clingan with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, helping Portland rebound from a 157-103 loss to Denver on Friday. The victory marked the Blazers’ fifth win in their last seven games.
Portland established control with its interior defense and rebounding. The visitors carried a 47-40 lead into halftime after Phoenix missed 17 of its first 19 attempts from 3-point range.
The Suns finished 9-for-35 from beyond the arc and shot 36.9% overall, producing a season-low 77 points. Phoenix entered on the second night of a back-to-back after a double-overtime win over Orlando on Saturday.
Clingan anchored the paint on both ends, adding five offensive rebounds and altering multiple shots around the rim. Portland outrebounded Phoenix 47-41 and recorded 11 blocked shots.
Grant led all scorers with 12 first-half points and stretched the defense with three 3-pointers. Toumani Camara contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Scoot Henderson added 11 points and six assists off the bench.
The Blazers built a 20-point lead late in the third quarter and took a 71-57 advantage into the fourth. When Collin Gillespie hit consecutive 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 80-69 with 7:36 remaining, Grant answered with a 3 to halt the momentum.
Gillespie paced the Suns with 18 points, and Jalen Green added 13. Phoenix committed 19 turnovers and struggled to generate consistent offense in the half court.
Portland also had 21 turnovers in a physical, low-scoring game. However, the Blazers limited transition damage and forced the Suns to rely on perimeter attempts.
The Suns were without Devin Booker (hip strain), Dillon Brooks (fractured hand), Grayson Allen (knee/ankle) and Jordan Goodwin (calf). The four absent rotation players combine to average more than 70 points per game.
Portland lost leading scorer Deni Avdija after one minute due to a lower back injury aggravation. Avdija had been listed as questionable entering the game.
With the win, the Trail Blazers improved to 27-30 and remained in the Western Conference play-in mix. Phoenix fell to 33-24 and will host Boston on Tuesday, while Portland returns home to face Minnesota.
