This season the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns have provided plenty to talk about. These two Western Conference sides met head-to-head three times this regular season, and that wasn’t the end of the rivalry. They ended up facing each other again in the NBA play-in tournament, with a playoff spot on the line. To anyone who has watched the two sides, the matchup should be nothing new: It’s been packed with drama, injuries, and close games.
So, let’s go from the games they’ve played to the games they haven’t played to the games they should play from the Trail Blazers to the Suns.
How the Regular Season Went
The Suns and Blazers played each other three times this year, and Phoenix came out on top in two of those games. The first meeting happened back on November 18, 2025, when the Suns went into Portland and walked away with a 127-110 win. At that point, the Blazers were dealing with some injury issues — Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson all sat out — so Portland never really had its full lineup out there.
The second game took place on February 3, 2026, and this one was a shootout. Phoenix edged out Portland 130-125 in a high-scoring affair. Collin Gillespie had a career night for the Suns, dropping 30 points and tying his personal best with eight three-pointers. Mark Williams added 24 points and 12 rebounds. On the Blazers’ side, Jerami Grant led the way with 23 points, while Donovan Clingan put up a solid double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Both teams were missing their leading scorers, though — Deni Avdija was out for Portland with a back issue, and Devin Booker sat for Phoenix with a sprained ankle.
Portland finally got its revenge on February 22, 2026. The Blazers went into Phoenix and smothered the Suns 92-77. Donovan Clingan was the star of that game, finishing with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks. Jerami Grant also chipped in 23 points on efficient shooting. The Suns were short-handed again — Booker, Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin all missed the game — and they shot a rough 36.9 percent from the field. The 77 points were a season low for Phoenix.
The Play-In Showdown
Because neither team locked up a guaranteed playoff spot, they had to go through the play-in tournament. The Suns grabbed the seventh seed, while the Blazers settled in at eighth. That set up a win-or-go-home game on April 14, 2026, in Phoenix.
This time, both teams were closer to full strength, which made it the first real test between the two sides all year. Devin Booker was back for the Suns, and Deni Avdija was ready to go for Portland. The Blazers had been playing well down the stretch, winning five of their last seven games and seven of their last ten.
The Suns had been a bit more up and down, going 6-10 in their final sixteen games, partly because Dillon Brooks missed time with a fractured hand.
Portland came into the game with some extra motivation. They had not made the playoffs since 2021, and they had not won a playoff series since their 2019 run to the Western Conference Finals. Interim head coach Tiago Splitter, who took over after Chauncey Billups was placed on administrative leave earlier in the season, kept the message simple for his players: play free, play hard, and do not play scared.
On the Suns’ side, Jordan Ott was confident his group would be ready. He praised Portland’s defense, noting how the Blazers funnel everything toward Clingan and play physical on the wings. He also pointed out that Portland likes to push the ball in transition and attack the rim, which meant Phoenix had to be locked in on both ends of the floor.
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The Key Players
Devin Booker remains the heart and soul of the Suns. He averaged around 26 points and 6 assists per game this season, and even when his three-point percentage dipped to about 33 percent, he still found ways to score. He gets to the free-throw line over eight times a game, which puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses.
Deni Avdija has been the breakout star for Portland. He put up roughly 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, and he draws even more free throws than Booker at over nine attempts per night. He is also the better defender of the two, which gives Portland an edge on that end when these teams go head-to-head.
Donovan Clingan is another huge piece for the Blazers. The 7-foot-2 center has been a force in the paint, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots at a high rate. In that February win over Phoenix, he completely controlled the game. The Suns counter with Mark Williams at center, who is quicker than Clingan but not as dominant on the glass. If Williams can pull Clingan away from the rim or draw fouls, that changes the whole game for Portland.
Around those stars, both teams have solid supporting casts. The Suns lean on Dillon Brooks for tough perimeter defense and secondary scoring, plus shooters like Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie who can get hot from deep in a hurry. The Blazers have Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe in the backcourt, along with Toumani Camara on the wing. When Portland’s guards are active and flying around defensively, they are tough to beat.
All-Time History
These two franchises have been going at it for decades. In the all-time regular-season series, the Suns hold a 134-114 advantage over the Trail Blazers. Phoenix has also been the tougher team at home, winning nearly three-quarters of their matchups in Arizona. That said, Portland has had its moments, especially during the Damian Lillard era when the Blazers regularly gave Phoenix problems.
What to Watch Going Forward
If both teams stay on their current paths, we could see more Blazers vs Suns games in the near future. Portland is young, athletic, and built around a rising star in Avdija plus a defensive anchor in Clingan. Phoenix still has Booker leading the charge, and if they can stay healthy, they are a tough out for anyone in the West.
The bottom line is this: whenever these two teams meet, you are going to get a mix of fast-paced offense, hard-nosed defense, and plenty of star power. Whether it is a regular-season game in February or a do-or-die play-in battle in April, Trail Blazers vs Suns is a matchup worth circling on the calendar.
Final Word
The Trail Blazers and Suns have given fans some real memorable games this season, from Portland’s defensive shutdown in February to the high-stakes play-in clash that decided who moved on. With young stars like Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan leading the charge on one side, and Devin Booker still running the show in Phoenix, this rivalry is only getting started. Whether you root for Rip City or the Valley, one thing is clear — when these two teams meet, it is always worth tuning in.
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