PORTLAND, Ore. — Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight combined for 60 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 101-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night at the Moda Center.
Bledsoe finished with a game-high 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field. Knight was close behind with 27 points, including four 3-pointers.
It was the second Suns victory over the Trail Blazers in as many days after Phoenix beat Portland 110-92 on Friday in Phoenix. The Suns (2-1) also received 15 points and nine rebounds from forward Markleff Morris.
Point guard Damian Lillard scored 23 points and guard C.J. McCollum added 15 points to lead the Trail Blazers (1-2).
After trailing 56-48 at halftime, Portland opened the third quarter on a 13-1 run to take a 61-57 lead. Maurice Harkless capped the Blazers’ run with a 3-pointer that energized the home crowd.
But Knight soon quieted the Portland fans with a 25-foot 3-pointer with 6:26 left for Phoenix’s first field goal of the second quarter. The Suns, who missed their first 12 shots from the field in the third quarter, took a 74-71 lead into the fourth quarter.
Portland, which lost at home for the first time this season after winning Wednesday’s opener against New Orleans, took an 81-80 lead on forward Al-Farouq Aminu’s jumper with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter. But it was the Blazers’ final lead.
Twelve seconds after Aminu’s basket, Bledsoe made a 17-foot jumper to start a 10-0 Suns run that also featured a driving layup from Bledsoe and consecutive baskets from Knight.
Lillard cut the Blazers’ deficit to 92-86 on a deep 3-pointer with 3:04 left. But Knight quickly answered with a 20-foot jumper.
Bledsoe and Knight combined to make 5 of 6 free throws in the final minute to seal the victory for Phoenix.
NOTES: Portland and Phoenix also played Friday night in Arizona, with the Suns winning 110-92. The victory improved Phoenix to 8-1 in its last nine regular-season home games against the Trail Blazers. … The Trail Blazers entered Saturday’s game having won 10 of the past 12 over Phoenix in Portland. … The Suns opened the season with a combined 108 rebounds in the first two games. After getting 53 rebounds in its season opener, Phoenix grabbed 55 rebounds against Portland on Friday. It was the first time the Suns had at least 53 rebounds in consecutive games since Feb. 15-16, 2006. … Portland F Al-Farouq Aminu had his first double-double in a Trail Blazers uniform on Friday. Aminu had 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. … Phoenix C Tyson Chandler, who signed with the Suns on July 9, had 15 points and 13 rebounds in Friday’s win after being held to three points and six rebounds in the season opener. … Saturday’s game marked Phoenix’s lone trip to Portland this season. The teams conclude their three-game regular-season series on Dec. 11 in Phoenix.