Donovan Clingan scored 23 points and added 13 rebounds, Jerami Grant scored 23 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame the early departure of leading scorer Deni Avdija for a 92-77 victory over the short-handed host Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Toumani Camara had 12 points and Clingan added four blocked shots for the Blazers, who built a 20-point lead while rebounding from a 54-point loss to Denver on Friday for their fifth win in the last seven.
Avdija appeared to suffer a recurrence of a low back injury that kept him out for five of the previous eight games. He grabbed his back on a play under the Portland basket and was removed 59 seconds into the game.
Collin Gillespie scored 18 points with four 3-pointers and Jalen Green had 13 for the Suns, who had played without injured Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen, their top three scorers. They have lost three of five.
Both teams had a season low in points.
Camara’s steal and dunk gave the Blazers a 71-51 lead with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third period and the Suns never were within 10.
The Suns closed to 85-74 on Gillespie’s layup with 4:41 remaining.
Phoenix shot 36.9% from the floor and made 9 of 35 3-pointers. They have shot under 38 percent in their last three games.
Grant and Clingan had three 3-pointers apiece and the Blazers shot 46.9 percent and were 10 of 37 from distance. They had made at least 14 3-pointers in eight straight games.
The Suns used their 20th different starting lineup, the first without either Brooks or Booker. They also were without reserve guard Jordan Goodwin, who suffered a left calf strain late in the Orlando game Saturday
The teams made a combined 2 of 21 3-point attempts in the first quarter, which ended 20-20. The Blazers were 2 of 14, with Camara and Scoot Henderson converting.
Grant had 10 points and two treys in the second quarter to give Portland a 47-40 halftime lead. The Blazers led 60-45 on Camara’s 3-pointer with 7:13 left in the third quarter.
Phoenix is 3-5 without Brooks.
Brooks suffered a fractured left hand in the 113-110 victory over Orlando, and Goodwin (calf) also left that game with an injury. Booker (hip) missed his second straight game and Allen (knee management) was held out after scoring 27 points in his return from a four-game absence Saturday.
–Field Level Media
