Phoenix Suns routed in 2nd half at Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Suns were either uninspired for having their playoff hopes dashed by three consecutive home losses last week or overmatched against a Portland team clinching its playoff berth Monday night.

Probably both.

Suns coach Jeff Hornacek was looking for what type of pride his team would show after a deflating Sunday home loss. They offered the resistance of the season's cobwebs to fall behind Portland by as many as 31 points in a 109-86 drubbing at Moda Center.

The Trail Blazers (48-25) handed the Suns (38-37) their seventh loss by at least 20 points and their fourth consecutive loss, turning the conversation quickly from whether the Suns could be a playoff team to whether they can finish the season as a .500 team.

Phoenix is 10-17 since Jan. 31, the eighth-worst record in the NBA over that time. The Suns stand one game above .500 with five of seven remaining games on the road and six against winning teams.

The Suns were not routed in the previous three losses but they had the familiar second-half nosedive. The Suns closed the first half on a 12-2 run to cut Portland's lead to 55-49, thanks in part to a small-ball lineup that started challenging Portland's shots and Gerald Green's deluge of shots (eight) and points (11) over nine minutes.

Portland scored on 15 of the second half's first 18 possessions.

Portland outscored the Suns 37-16 in the third quarter, the fifth consecutive third quarter that the Suns have been held to fewer than 20 points.

"Our energy level was so-so," Suns forward Marcus Morris said. "They hit spurts and made a lot of 3s. Anytime you make four or five 3s in a row in an arena like this, it's tough to overcome."

The Blazers would not need heroics from LaMarcus Aldridge, who beat the Suns with six consecutive crunch-time shots Friday night. They had four starters with at least 16 points after a turnover-less third quarter.

"When you come out lackadaisical, we just come out in the third quarter and just play with no intensity and no real emotion of trying to get some early stops," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Adding injury to insult, Suns center Alex Len suffered a broken nose early in the fourth quarter in the same building where he sprained his right ankle on the previous visit. Len took a blow from Chris Kaman early in the fourth quarter to fracture the nose, which had offseason surgery from a rookie-season dislocation.

"It was so fast that I don't even know what happened," Len said. "I just got hit. I ran back on offense. I think he felt it so he asked me, 'You all right?' As soon as I said, 'I'm fine,' I looked back and blood started dripping."

Portland is tough to beat at Moda Center with a 30-7 mark this season but the Suns made it easy. Portland took a 31-point lead at 96-65 early in the fourth quarter to come within three of the Suns' worst deficit of the season (34 vs. San Antonio on Feb. 28).

"We had a great chance to at least make a (playoff) push and we gave a lot last game," Marcus Morris said. "That was definitely emotionally challenging to come out but, at the end of the day, we're privileged basketball players. It's basketball. We've got to be happy to do this and be happy to play."

The Suns had their third lowest totals of the season for free-throw attempts (10) and 3-pointers made (three). They have shot a league-worst 29.6 percent from 3-point range since the All-Star break. Green and rookie T.J. Warren shared the scoring lead with 13 points, the lowest individual high of the Suns season.

The Suns failed to score 90 points for the sixth time in the past 12 games.

"We did a terrible job of closing games out," Markieff Morris said. "We're a young team."

Reach Paul Coro at paul.coro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him at twitter.com/paulcoro.

REPORT

Key player

Portland's Nicolas Batum made 4-of-6 3-pointers. He has a season scoring average of 9.4 but has averaged 17.0 points against the Suns this season.

Key moment

Portland scored on 15 of its first 18 possessions of the third quarter for a 35-12 run in nine minutes.

Key number

17.6 Suns third-quarter scoring average in the past five games

View from press row

Gerald Green is not winning basketball games for the Suns. That was last season. He was not having as good of a season as last season and it only has been worse since the first time he was benched for a Suns game on Jan. 30. Those 12 shots Monday night in 19 minutes by Green, who will be a free agent, are not helping the youth. Starting Reggie Bullock for the fourth quarter is more like it.