Portland Buries Phoenix 124-83 in a First-Quarter Demolition
Portland didn't just beat Phoenix on October 22 — they humiliated them, 124-83, in a 41-point rout that was effectively over before halftime. The Suns didn't score a single point until the 5:54 mark of the first quarter, while Portland had already built a 21-0 lead.
The opening quarter told the whole story. Donovan Clingan drained a 24-foot three-pointer assisted by Deni Avdija just 14 seconds in — a shot that swung Portland's home win probability from 59% to 64% — and the Blazers never looked back. What followed was a systematic dismantling: Avdija hit a pullup, Ja Morant buried a 25-footer, Avdija connected from three again, then Damian Lillard added his own 26-foot bomb. By the time Toumani Camara converted a layup off a Clingan dish, Portland led 16-0 and Phoenix still hadn't gotten a shot to fall. Devin Booker finally got the Suns on the board with two free throws at the 5:54 mark — but the damage was done. Portland closed the first quarter on a 43-12 run, capped by Scoot Henderson drilling a 26-foot three at the buzzer off a Lillard assist.
Phoenix made a brief push to open the second quarter — Oso Ighodaro dunked twice in quick succession to trim the deficit to 43-16 — but Portland's depth smothered any flicker of a comeback. Jalen Green heated up with back-to-back buckets to pull Phoenix within 23, but Lillard answered with a cold-blooded 25-foot step-back three, and Morant added a floating floater to push the lead back to 28. That was the ballgame. The Suns' offense, held to 83 points on the night, never found a rhythm against a Portland defense that looks, at least through this performance, suffocating.
The story of the night was Portland's depth and ball movement. Lillard led all scorers with 25 points, 6 assists, and a steal. Avdija posted 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals — a complete two-way effort. Camara added 18 points and 3 assists. Henderson chipped in 15. Morant, operating as a facilitator, finished with 14 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals. Five Portland players scored in double figures, and the ball moved with a fluency that appears to signal a team that has genuine chemistry early in the season. For Phoenix, Booker's 23 points were the lone bright spot on a night where the Suns looked disorganized and outmatched from the opening tip. A 41-point loss is the kind of result that raises real questions about where this Phoenix roster stands.