Before hitting the road for a back-to-back versus the Jazz and Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) finish off a week of home preseason games by hosting the Phoenix (1-1) Suns Saturday night at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
ALL TIME: Suns lead, 120-106IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 71-43AT PHOENIX: Suns lead, 77-35LAST PORTLAND WIN: 127-120, 3/9/19LAST PHOENIX WIN: 118-115 (ot), 11/2/16CURRENT WIN STREAK: 10 (Portland)
GAME NOTES
• Saturday’s meeting is the only preseason matchup between the Trail Blazers and the Suns in 2019. The teams will meet four times during the regular season, with the first game on Dec. 16 at Phoenix.
• LAST SEASON: The Trail Blazers were 3-0 against the Suns during the 2018-19 season, winning twice at home and once in Phoenix.
• In two games against Phoenix last season, CJ McCollum averaged 23.0 points (65.5% FG, 53.3% 3-PT), 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.00 steal. McCollum has scored at least 20 points in 10 consecutive games against Phoenix. He has made at least four three-pointers in six of those 10 games.
• Damian Lillard averaged 22.3 points (46.3% FG, 50.0% 3-PT, 92.0% FT), 3.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.00 steal and 1.00 block in three games against the Suns during the 2018-19 season. Lillard scored 18 points in his last game against the Suns on March 9. Prior to that game, he had scored at least 24 points in 10 straight games against Phoenix.
• In two games against the Trail Blazers last season, Devin Booker averaged 25.0 points (41.0% FG, 27.3% 3-PT, 93.8% FT), 1.5 re- bounds, 4.0 assists and 1.50 steals. Booker has scored at least 30 points in three of his last five games against the Trail Blazers.
• Deandre Ayton averaged 16.0 points (50.0% FG, 66.7% FT), 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two games (one start) against the Trail Blazers during the 2018-19 season.
• CONNECTION: Suns head coach Monty Williams was an assistant coach with the Trail Blazers for five seasons from 2005-10.
• CONNECTION: Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little and Phoenix forward Cameron Johnson were teammates at North Carolina during the 2018-19 season.
INJURY NOTES
Jusuf Nurkic (left leg), Pau Gasol (left foot) and Nassir Little (left ankle) are out for Saturday's game. Gasol is nearing return and hopes to make at least one preseason appearance while Little sits out after suffering a minor ankle sprain in the first quarter of Thursday's game versus Maccabi Haifa.
BROADCAST NOTES
Saturday's game can be seen locally on NBC Sports Northwest with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam. Travis Demers and Michael Holton will have the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations on the Trail Blazers Radio Network.