November 3, 2026 at 6:58 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisSuns Look to Settle Down Against Portland Amid Early Struggles
Phoenix is shorthanded and 1-3, but home court may be enough to edge Portland.
- POR @ PHX Nov 5, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC
Phoenix enters this one at 1-3, a rough start for a team that surprised people last season. The most visible issue is that Devin Booker has been serving as the de facto point guard, and the results have left a lot to be desired. Booker is the Suns' best scorer, and playing him as the primary playmaker has not produced the balance Phoenix needs. Portland's guards will try to pressure him early and make him work before he gets to his scoring spots.
The frontcourt is a bigger concern. Mark Williams is out after left shoulder surgery for a torn labrum and has not made his 2026-27 debut, so he is not expected to play. Without him, Phoenix is short on interior scoring and rebounding. That puts more pressure on Khaman Maluach, who started the Nov. 2 game at center, to hold up inside. Jordan Goodwin's status adds to the worry. He left that game against Golden State with a calf injury and did not return. If he can't go, Phoenix loses one of its top bench rebounders and a hustle defender.
There is also a Portland-Phoenix storyline off the court. A proposed trade would send Jrue Holiday, who is stuck in a Portland backcourt logjam, to Phoenix for Jalen Green. It is only speculation, but it points to Phoenix's need for defense and Portland's surplus of guards.
Phoenix's lone win, 131-122 over a Warriors team missing Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Brandon Podziemski, deserves some skepticism. Still, the Suns have the home floor and the scoring of Booker and Green. I expect a choppy game with Portland getting second chances on the glass, but Phoenix's perimeter scoring should be enough for a narrow win.
Prediction: Suns 114, Trail Blazers 109.