NBA Game Preview - Phoenix at Portland

Sat Apr 1, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

Jusuf Nurkic is at the forefront of the Portland Trail Blazers' revitalization.

Now the Trail Blazers will have to finish the job without Nurkic for the rest of the season, and their first game without him occurs Saturday night when they host the Phoenix Suns.

Portland (37-38) is 13-3 in its last 16 games and holds a two-game lead over the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Nurkic will watch the rest of the regular season from the sidelines after the Trail Blazers announced Friday that he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right leg that will cost him two weeks.

Nurkic has had a major impact in the 20 games since being obtained before the All-Star break in a trade for Mason Plumlee. Since joining Portland, Nurkic is averaging career highs of 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds and the Trail Blazers are 14-6 with him in the lineup.

Portland's resurgence officially began March 1 when it rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final seven-plus minutes and Damian Lillard hit four free throws in the final seconds of a 114-109 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lillard is playing a major role in the turnaround by averaging 29.1 points and shooting 48.3 percent from the field, figures that represent his highest monthly totals this season. He scored 31 during Thursday's 117-107 win over the Houston Rockets, and it was the 10th time in 19 games Lillard reached 30 points since the All-Star break.

"It feels like we're playing like the team we expected ourselves to be," Lillard said. "It's frustrating that we weren't playing this brand of basketball months ago, but I feel like it couldn't have come at a greater time."

Statistically this is what Portland's brand of basketball looks like in the last month: 111.3 points per game, 48.7 percent shooting and 41.7 percent from 3-point range, numbers that add up to 112.6 offensive rating. Defensively the Trail Blazers posted a 104.2 defensive rating after allowing 103.4 points, 45.2 percent shooting and 34.0 percent from 3-point range.

The numbers are an improvement from Dec. 13-Feb. 28 when Portland dropped 21 of 32 games by posting a defensive rating of 108.7 and allowing 107.3 points per game. During their 2 1/2-month slide, the Trail Blazers also averaged 103.8 points with an offensive rating of 105.2.

As much as Lillard fuels the Blazers, others contribute as well. Portland placed six in double figures Thursday, including Nurkic. Nurkic totaled 19 points and 11 rebounds against the Rockets, giving him double-doubles in five of his last seven games.

"That's how you're successful in the playoffs," Lillard said. "You get playing the way you want to play at the right time and you're getting something from a lot of guys. To win, it can't be one or two or three, it's going to take a complete group effort. And that's what we've been getting. And if we want to continue to win games, we're going to have to keep that (up)."

The Suns take a 10-game losing streak into Saturday. It is their 10th double-digit losing streak in team history.

The losing streak began March 12 when Lillard scored 39 in Portland's 110-101 win at Phoenix. Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points in that game, and it was his final game as the Suns have opted to shut him down along with Brandon Knight and Tyson Chandler.

Devin Booker scored 28 in the loss to Portland and is averaging 27.8 points in the eight games he has played during this skid. Since getting 70 points March 24 in Boston, Booker has scored 56 points on 20-of-39 shooting in his last two games.

During Thursday's 124-118 loss, the Suns shot 54 percent but missed 13 free throws. Phoenix rallied from 12 points down in the third quarter and Booker fouled out with 4:45 remaining.

During their last 10 games, the Suns did not use more than nine players in nine of those games, and those who are playing are getting on-the-job training. That includes rookie Marquese Chriss, who scored 20 points Thursday and is averaging 14.4 points during his last 10 games.

"I think our players are growing in all areas," Phoenix coach Earl Watson said. "They're getting an opportunity, and we all know opportunity in this level is the most important thing for growth and development and just improving. And they're so young and still believe that anything is possible."

The Suns took the first meeting against Portland on Nov. 2 when Bledsoe hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of overtime in a 118-115 victory. Before Lillard scored 39 points in the last meeting, he totaled 38 when Portland held on for a 124-121 home win on Nov. 8.