Breaking down the Suns-Blazers NBA play-in matchup

The Suns hope they’re just getting started.

They’ll have two chances to earn a playoff berth through the play-in tournament Tuesday through Friday.

“We're locked in,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Sunday’s 135-103 victory at defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to conclude the regular season, a game in which 18 players were ruled out.

“We've talked about after the All-Star break playing meaningful games. Now that's transitioned to a big game Tuesday night. That's exciting. To play 82 games and then have another chance to play a game. That part is exciting. To do it with this group will be special.”

Here is a breakdown of the Suns upcoming play-in game.

Suns play-in matchup

Who: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers (42-40) at No. 7 Phoenix Suns (45-37)

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Mortgage Matchup Center

Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Last 10 games: Suns 5-5, Blazers 7-3

Winner: Earns No. 7 seed in Western Conference playoffs. Will play second-seeded San Antonio Spurs (62-20) in first round.

Loser: Will host the winner of the No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers (42-40) vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors (37-45) play-in game on Friday at 7 p.m. for the eighth seed. The winner of Friday's game will advance to a first-round playoff matchup versus the No. 1-seeded Thunder (64-18). The Warriors play-in game at the Clippers is Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Suns' comments on Blazers

Dillon Brooks: “They’re big. They play well in the paint, which we struggle against, but we’re going to find a way. We’re going to have to go after mismatches and different things that they present and that they’re weak at and exploit it. Once that level is exploited and they try to make an adjustment, then we’ve got to make an adjustment, as wel,l at any cost to win the game.”

Oso Ighodaro: “No. 1, rebounding. Good offensive rebounding team, (Donovan) Clingan, especially. Elite perimeter defenders. So getting those guys off the ball, screening well. They compete at a high level defensively. Matching that energy and rebounding. I think we can outscore them, but we’ve got to do the dirty work.”

What to watch

Who guards Deni Avdija? The first-time All-Star is 6-8, 228 pounds, plays with physicality, handles the ball and lives at the free throw line. He’s third in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game at 9.2. He also averages nearly four turnovers a game.

Brooks will likely draw the initial assignment of guarding Avdija as he’ll look to match the physicality.

Avdija played just one full game against the Suns this season, back in November, which Phoenix won in Portland.

He missed the second matchup in early February with a low back strain and only played the first 59 seconds of the third game in Phoenix later that month before reaggravating his back issues.

Suns chemistry: Phoenix has trotted out 27 different starting lineups mostly due to injuries, but Ott is also trying to find rotations and combinations to coexist with the starting units. Phoenix has faced the challenge of re-establishing chemistry with players returning from extended time out with injuries, such as Mark Williams and Brooks late in the season, while reshuffling and shrinking the rotations in preparation for the playoffs.

The Suns have established a physical, aggressive and energetic style of play that translates into forcing turnovers, offensive rebounds and wearing down opponents.

Can Phoenix play that way at a high enough level after all the late-season adjustments and injuries to advance to the playoffs?

'Clutch' time: The Suns are 19-19 in "clutch games" which are defined by the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points. The Blazers are 21-22.

Since the All-Star break, Phoenix is 5-7 in “clutch games” while Portland is 5-6.

If it’s a close game late, the records suggest it could go either way.

Home court advantage

The Suns are 25-16 at home this season while the Blazers are 18-23 on the road.

Devin Booker: “The support has been there. I think we had low expectations coming in and the fans still showed up and showed out. That's definitely needed, we need that for tough parts of the season, what we've been going through now. We solidified ourselves in the seventh spot, which I think a lot of people didn't expect either. But we're going to need them coming up, too, for this play-in game.”

Season series: Suns, 2-1

Nov. 18: Suns 127-110. Phoenix led by as many as 25 points in the fourth in defeating Portland at Moda Center. The Suns generated a season-high 63 bench points and 19 steals.

Feb. 3: Suns 130-125. Phoenix endured Portland’s 41-point first quarter to win at Moda Center. Collin Gillespie scored a career-high 30 points, hitting eight 3s, also a career best, and registered 10 assists as Phoenix was without Jalen Green and Booker.

Feb. 22: Blazers 92-77. Phoenix hit what was then a season-low in points in the home loss. Without Grayson Allen, Jordan Goodwin, Booker and Brooks, the Suns shot 36.5% from the field, going 9-of-35 from 3, and committed 23 turnovers that led to 24 Portland points.

Head coaches

Jordan Ott: 45-37 in his first year as an NBA head coach.Ott is Phoenix’s fourth head coach in four seasons. He replaced Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after going 36-46 in his only year in Phoenix as the team missed the post-season.

Tiago Splitter: 42-39 in his first year as NBA head coach. He replaced Chauncey Billups as an interim after the first game of the season, Oct. 22, 2025, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Blazers lost, 118-114, at home.

Billups was arrested the next day as part of investigations related to illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia. The Blazers put him on immediate leave. Splitter took over for Portland’s next game.

Connection: Ott was a video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-16 under Budenholzer. Splitter played one season in Atlanta in 2015-16. Ott and Splitter were assistants together for the Brooklyn Nets for two seasons (2020-22) under Steve Nash.

By the numbers

– Points per game: Suns 112.6 (26th), Blazers 115.5 (16th)

– FG%: Suns 45.5% (28th), Blazers 45.3% (29th)

– 3PT%: Suns 36.1% (12th), Blazers 34.3% (28th)

– FT%: Suns 78.1% (15th), Blazers 76.5% (24th)

– Rebounds per game: Suns 43.1 (20th), Blazers 46.0 (6th)

– Offensive rebounds: Suns 13.0 (4th), Blazers 14.1 (2nd)

– Offensive rating: Suns 114.2 (17th), Blazers 113.1 (21st)

– Defensive rating: Suns 112.9 (9th), Blazers 113.5 (12th)

– Second-chance points: Suns 16.4 (6th), Blazers 18.4 (1st)

– Assists: Suns 24.6 (27th), Blazers 25.1 (24th)

– Turnovers: Suns 14.5 (15th), Blazers 17.3 (30th)

– Points off turnovers: Suns 19.9 (5th), Blazers 19.2 (8th)

– Steals: Suns 9.5 (4th), Blazers 8.3 (18th)

– Points in the paint: Suns 43.1 (29th), Blazers 48.3 (21st)

– Fast break points: Suns 14.1 (20th), Blazers 13.8 (23rd)