Two high-quality teams face off, the eighth place in the Western Conference faces the second-to-last. An interesting confrontation between both teams that would be the third game of the series and they want to start the year well.
Where do they play?
The Footprint Center will be the host stadium for this regular season game, it is located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Since June 6, 1992, it has been the home of the Phoenix Suns, it has a capacity of 18,422 spectators and its construction cost 89 million dollars.
How do both teams arrive?
The Portland team is going through a new process that focuses on young players who will have to take on more important roles after the departure of the team's stars last season. They had a bad start to the 2023-2024 season, with 9 games won and 22 lost, they are in fourteenth place in the Western Conference. Their last game was on December 29, 2023 and resulted in a 134-128 victory against the San Antonio Spurs at the Moda Center and thus won another game in the season. They arrive as the least favorites to win the game, but they could surprise and win the match because they are a good team from the Western Conference and because of the experience their players have.
On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns are also progressing well in the regular season, with 16 games won and 15 lost, they established themselves in eighth place in the Western Conference. Last tournament they lost in the Western Conference semifinal against the Denver Nuggets, they made several changes to the team and they hope that this season they can compete to enter the grand final. Their last game was on December 29, 2023 and resulted in a 133-119 victory against the Charlotte Hornets at the Footprint Center and thus won another game of the season. They come as favorites to win this game and win because of the incredible team they have and the good time they are going through. They have an advantage in Monday's game by playing at home and that their fans can support them.
Where to watch and what time does Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns play?
It will only be streamed on NBA League Pass. The game starts at 21:00 (ET) and you can't miss it.
Background
Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns have faced each other on several occasions. In the last 5 meetings, the Phoenix Suns have won twice and on three other occasions the winners were the Portland Trail Blazers.
Last confrontation
The last time these two teams met was on December 19, 2023 at the Moda Center, in that game the Portland Trail Blazers won 109 to 104. That matchup was very even in points and rebounds, which we hope will happen again on Monday.
Referees
The refereeing appointment for today's game is as follows:
Crew Chief: Bill Kennedy (#55).
Referee: JB DeRosa (#22).
Referee: Jonathan Sterling (#17).
Playback Center: John Goble, Natalie Sago and Sha'Rae Mitchell.
Players to watch
Jerami Grant (#9): The 29-year-old forward has taken on a larger role within the team and is considered the best player on his team. This season is his ninth year in the league, in the 2023-2024 regular season he averages 22.4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game respectively, he is very important for the offense and has a lot of weight on the team.
Kevin Durant (#25): a basketball legend, he will be key in the offensive attack, the season has been very good and he has surprised a lot by averaging 29.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists so far. His experience will be of utmost importance and he must lead the team to victory.