PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns’ defense is the worst in the NBA, and it showed again Wednesday in a 132-119 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Arizona Sports reported.
The loss dropped Phoenix to 1-5, its first 1-5 start in eight seasons, dating back to the 2020 bubble year.
The Suns came into the game with a 128.8 defensive rating outside of garbage time, ranked 30th in the league, according to Arizona Sports. After the loss, it was 128.9. The league average is about 113.
Phoenix won the first quarter 34-29, then gave up 42 points in the second and trailed by 13 at halftime. Portland added 32 more in the third.
Blazers forward Deni Avdija carved up the Suns, piling up eight assists in his first 14 minutes, mostly on kickouts to open shooters.
“It’s been the same story the whole season,” Devin Booker said. “We’ve done it good in spots, but we haven’t been able to put together 48 minutes. We gotta find a way to do it.”
Coach Jordan Ott kept coming back to a simple fix after the game: guarding the ball.
Phoenix played without guard Jordan Goodwin (right calf soreness) and forward Rasheer Fleming (left ankle sprain), and center Mark Williams remains out after left shoulder surgery, according to Arizona Sports.
There is no time to regroup. The Suns host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night in the second game of a back-to-back, part of a stretch of five home games in seven days that also brings San Antonio, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers to downtown Phoenix.
Sources: Arizona Sports, Arizona Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Cltjames / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
