The Phoenix Suns open the 2026–27 season against the Portland Trail Blazers tonight, starting at 0-0 but carrying the memory of what happened the last time these teams met. Portland beat Phoenix 114–110 in the 7/8 Play-In Game on April 14, a result that ended the Suns’ postseason path before they bounced back to win their second Play-In Game against the Golden State Warriors.
This is why the Suns Vs Trail Blazers search lands now: the opener is not just a first game, it is a rematch. Deni Avdija was the difference in that loss a season ago, finishing with 41 points and 12 assists, and Portland’s roster around him looks different again. Damian Lillard is back after missing an entire season with an Achilles injury, Portland has added Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies, and Jrue Holiday is coming off the bench, which means the Blazers must sort out who controls the ball when the game tightens.
Avdija’s 28.5% usage rate last season gives Portland a baseline, but it does not solve the math. If Morant is the lead creator, Lillard is back in rhythm and Holiday is supplying second-unit control, then Avdija has to slide between scorer, connector and pressure release. That is the challenge for the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener: too many hands can flatten an offense if the roles blur, and not enough can waste the talent on the floor.
Phoenix has its own questions, and they are immediate. Miles Bridges is being integrated into the Suns’ offense, Jalen Green has primary playmaking responsibilities, and Devin Booker had a lackluster preseason, according to the article. The biggest choice may be at center, where the prediction is that Malauch will start tonight against Donovan Clingan, giving the Suns a different look against the size and structure Portland can throw at the rim.
The backdrop is hard to miss. Phoenix was swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round after that Play-In run, so this opener doubles as a reset and a test against the same team that knocked it out last April. If the Suns are going to look different from last season, they will have to show it immediately against a Trail Blazers team that has already shown it can make Phoenix pay.
