The Portland Trail Blazers are the lone team to defeat the Phoenix Suns this season, but they did so with Damian Lillard in the lineup.

When the ball is tipped Friday night in Phoenix, Lillard will be in street clothes due to his calf injury as the Suns look to avenge that 113-111 overtime defeat in Portland.

It is the first of back-to-back games between the two teams. Saturday’s meeting is also in Phoenix.

Lillard scored 41 points in Portland’s stunning victory on Oct. 21, but he strained his right calf against the Miami Heat five nights later and will miss third straight game.

Suns star Devin Booker scored 33 points against the Trail Blazers and he has scored 30 or more four times this season.

The setback was just the second for Phoenix in the last eight meetings with Portland.

The Suns enter this meeting on a five-game winning streak. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 on Tuesday.

Booker, who had 18 points, wasn’t the star for Phoenix against Minnesota. Forward Cameron Johnson filled that role by making seven 3-pointers and scoring 29 points.

“Offensively he was really aggressive,” Suns coach Monty Williams said of Johnson. “Everybody was telling him to shoot the ball. He is more than a shooter. He has the ability to make plays. He is a really good passer.”

Johnson has made 12 3-pointers over the last two games and is shooting 44 percent (22 of 50) from behind the arc through seven games.

Johnson, a fourth-year-pro, is averaging 14.9 points in his first campaign as a starter. The Suns promoted Johnson to the role prior to the start of training camp, which prompted veteran Jae Crowder to remain away from the team with both sides hopeful of working out a trade.

Nobody is missing Crowder with the way Johnson is performing.

“I think he is getting more comfortable with the role, but defensively he was really good,” Williams said after the Minnesota game.

Center Deandre Ayton (ankle) practiced Thursday and was upgraded to probable to return to the lineup Friday. He has missed the past two games.

The Trail Blazers have won five of their first seven games, but dropped a 111-106 decision to the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Anfernee Simmons scored 31 points to continue his strong play. It was his second straight 30-point effort and he is averaging 22 points.

Portland never led against the Grizzlies but did recover from a 17-point deficit with a 19-2 run to tie the score at 96 with 3:39 remaining in the contest.

“For the most part in this game we had good opportunities,” Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “We just couldn’t really capitalize, couldn’t get over the hump. I didn’t love the start of the game for us.”

Big man Jusuf Nurkic added 23 points and 13 rebounds. He loved his team’s comeback but wasn’t pleased with the final result.

“Some bad decisions, some missed shots,” Nurkic said. “Have opportunity to win the game, which is most important thing. Didn’t (go) the way we wanted.”

Jerami Grant also had 23 points for Portland.

–Field Level Media

Feeling at least slightly better about the road ahead, the Los Angeles Lakers will take their first winning streak of the season into a home contest Friday against the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers started the season 0-5 but have since defeated the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans in succession, needing overtime to get past the Pelicans 120-117 at home Wednesday.

The Lakers blew a 16-point third quarter lead but forced their way into overtime when sharpshooter Matt Ryan drilled an off-balance 3-pointer at the fourth-quarter buzzer. Los Angeles won despite LeBron James shooting just 1 of 5 from the field in the extra period.

Lonnie Walker IV led the Lakers with a season-high 28 points and has averaged 23 per game in the back-to-back victories. That compares to Walker’s scoring average of 16.1 points overall.

A heavier reliance on Walker was needed with James appearing sluggish on the court. After the game, it was revealed that James was dealing with a non-COVID illness earlier in the week.

“I told the team afterward I think each and every one of them, in the lineup, limited minutes, no minutes, the way we stood together and the way we supported one another, it showed a lot of grit, a lot of toughness, a lot of character for us not to fold at that moment,” new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said.

James still finished with 20 points on 9-of-23 shooting, while also contributing 10 rebounds. Anthony Davis also had 20 points with a game-high 16 rebounds after struggling through lower back pain in Sunday’s victory over the Nuggets.

“I knew I wasn’t gonna have everything: all my juice, all my bounce, all my spring,” James said. “But if I’m in the lineup, I’m gonna try to make plays. And was I great tonight? Absolutely not.”

The Lakers now face the Jazz, who have been a surprise in the early going with a 6-3 record. Utah traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason and also made a change to a new head coach in former Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy.

New addition Lauri Markkanen leads the Jazz with 21.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Jordan Clarkson is scoring 17.1 per game, while veteran Mike Conley has 7.1 assists per contest.

Despite the changes, Utah has maintained its long-distance shooting identity, entering NBA play Thursday with the third most made 3-pointers per game (14.6) and the third most 3-point attempts (40.3). The team’s 36.1 percent success rate from deep is 14th in the league.

All three of the Jazz’s losses this season have come in their last three road games, including a 103-100 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Clarkson scored 22 points and Collin Sexton had 19. Markkanen was held to 14 as the Jazz blew a 15-point third-quarter lead.

Clarkson was off target on a last-second 3-point attempt that would have sent the game into overtime.

“I’m proud of the guys for the way they competed and sticking in the game,” Hardy said. “To battle and get it to that last possession is really indicative of our group. … Really proud of them for digging in.

“We’ll learn from this one and on to L.A.”

–Field Level Media

The Milwaukee Bucks will look to make franchise history when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

After matching the franchise-best start of 7-0 with Wednesday’s 116-91 rout of the Detroit Pistons, the Bucks can enter the team’s record books with a victory over Minnesota.

The league’s only undefeated team has been led by star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has matched his career-long streak of six straight games with at least 30 points.

Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 12 rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Detroit and is averaging 33.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game on 56.9 percent shooting.

“It feels like he’s playing a lot of different places and playing with just a good rhythm and really an unselfish heart and it’s coming back to him,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Good things are happening.”

The Bucks are playing short-handed without Khris Middleton (left wrist surgery) and Pat Connaughton (calf), but players such as point guard Jrue Holiday have stepped up during the team’s hot start.

Holiday is averaging 28.3 points on 58.5 percent shooting over his last three games. The 14th-year pro ranks 10th in the league in assists at 7.6 per game.

“He’s just so underrated,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said. “I mean, it’s honestly pretty disrespectful at this point how good Jrue is and just how little attention he gets for it.”

Milwaukee has lost its last two meetings against Minnesota, which is 4-4 heading into the start of a four-game homestand.

The Wolves are looking to snap a two-game losing skid after falling 116-107 to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Minnesota entered the season with high expectations after acquiring center Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz, but the team’s starting unit has struggled to find its rhythm.

D’Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Gobert appeared overmatched at times against Phoenix, which led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter.

Russell is shooting a career-worst 39.4 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from 3-point range. He scored five points on 2-for-8 shooting in the loss to Phoenix.

“He’s just gotta stay confident in his shot,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “I saw him turning down some open looks out there. Just gotta stay confident. He’s a really, really good shooter.”

One bright spot has been Edwards, who is averaging 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 44.9 percent from the field.

Minnesota has also received a spark from backup center Naz Reid. The fourth-year pro had 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting with three rebounds in nearly 16 minutes off the bench against the Suns.

Reid is making a case for increased playing time in the Wolves’ crowded frontcourt, which is led by a pair of established stars in Towns and Gobert.

“There were a couple early games where he didn’t get in. I just kept telling him to stay ready, stick with it,” teammate Jordan McLaughlin said. “It’s a long season and we’re going to need everybody on this team. He’s made the most of his playing time and opportunity every time he gets in games. So I’m happy for him.”

–Field Level Media

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally got a chance to see what their backcourt duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell could do for a full game. The results were very impressive.

They combined 54 points and 18 assists in a 114-113 overtime win over Boston, extending the team’s winning streak to six games. Cleveland will now embark on a five-game road trip, with a stop in Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday before heading to the West Coast.

Garland suffered an eye injury in the season opener and didn’t play again until Wednesday. He finished with 29 points and 12 assists in 42 minutes.

“He creates so much for our team, his shot-making, his playmaking as well,” forward Evan Mobley said. “On top of that, we have Donovan, so we have a very strong backcourt.”

Garland was thrilled just to get back in action after recovering from an injury that he thought would require surgery.

“We were winning and I was happy about that, but I wanted to be on the floor with them and feel that energy,” Garland said. “I’m happy to be back now.”

Acquired in a blockbuster trade with Utah, Mitchell is averaging 31.1 points and 7.1 assists.

“There’s a lot of different things you can do with them,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They’re both so dynamic. They both can create off the dribble, they both can catch and shoot, come off screens and shoot and they’re both phenomenal passers. They can make their teammates better. You go 18 assists between the two of them and only one turnover, that’s what you want from your guards.”

Cleveland still had to sweat out 53 minutes to collect its latest win. Boston’s Jaylen Brown missed a potential game-winning jumper in the closing seconds of overtime.

The Pistons have lost seven of their last eight games. They won their last home game against Golden State, then fell to Milwaukee twice in three nights.

Detroit gave the unbeaten Bucks a tough challenge on Monday, losing 110-108. The rematch was a much different story, as the Pistons trailed by double digits virtually the entire second half in a 116-91 defeat.

The Bucks scored 24 second-chance points with a majority coming in the first half.

“That was the name of the game,” coach Dwane Casey said. “That was the difference in the game, them pounding the boards.”

Turnovers also played a major role, as Milwaukee scored 28 points off 21 Pistons giveaways. Bojan Bogdanovic committed one third of those turnovers.

Franchise player Cade Cunningham was limited to 10 points and four assists. He had averaged 27.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists the previous four games, including a 27-point, six-rebound, seven-assist performance on Monday.

Cunningham had great success coming off screens for mid-range jumpers around the elbow during his hot streak. The Bucks made it more difficult for him to find his sweet spot.

“(Jrue) Holiday and (Jevon) Carter are probably two of the pit bulls of the league as far as pick-and-roll defense,” Casey said. “Then they brought the bigs up just a little bit higher to kind of box him in, a kind of semi-blitz. The same shots he had the other night, they were really doing a good job of coming from behind and challenging him.”

–Field Level Media

There will be a clash of surging stars — Pascal Siakam and Luka Doncic — on Friday night when the Toronto Raptors visit the Dallas Mavericks.

Siakam reeled off his second triple-double of the season Wednesday with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in only 27:34 of playing time in the Raptors’ 143-100 romp over the host San Antonio Spurs.

“I just think Pascal has a great command of what he’s seeing and what he’s doing,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

It was the Raptors’ second straight lopsided victory without Fred VanVleet (back). Siakam scored 31 points with 12 rebounds Monday in a 139-109 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

Meanwhile, Doncic made history with 33 points and 11 assists Wednesday in the Mavericks 103-100 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz.

Doncic became the third player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in each of his first seven games of the season. He joined Wilt Chamberlain (eight games in 1959-60 and 23 games in 1962-63) and Jack Twyman (seven games in 1959-60).

“That’s rare air,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We get to see that on a nightly basis, so that’s pretty cool. A 23-year-old kid that’s playing at this level is really, really special. He can do it in so many ways, when you talk about posting up or getting to the basket, shooting the 3, shooting the little stepback. … He’s carrying the team and putting the team in position to win.”

“I’m trying to win games,” Doncic said. “Whoever scores more, you’re going to win the games. I think (Wednesday) was one of the best games I’ve played — just not forcing a lot, sharing the ball. I think we shared the ball great (Wednesday).”

The Mavericks will be facing a Raptors team that plays disruptive defense. Toronto had 16 steals and forced 23 turnovers in San Antonio and had 13 steals and forced 18 turnovers against the Hawks.

“That’s our identity,” Siakam said. “That’s what we have to be. We have to be that team that disrupts the other team, that gets them away from what they do best, period.”

O.G. Anunoby, who had six steals against Atlanta, added five steals in San Antonio.

“I’ve always wanted to be defensive player of the year,” Anunoby said. “I’ve always thought I was the best defender in the league. I’ve thought that for I don’t know how many years.”

“As long as he focuses on that every single day and doesn’t take days off, he’s already special,” Siakam said. “So I think he can continue to get better at it. He can do it in his sleep, it feels like. It doesn’t look like he’s really trying out there.”

Otto Porter Jr. (hamstring) played his first game of the season for Toronto and had five points, three rebounds and two steals in 10:31 of game time as a reserve.

With a third consecutive strong game on Wednesday, Dallas’ Dwight Powell might have earned consideration for a starting spot at center on Friday.

He had nine points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field with five rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 18:36 as a reserve against Utah.

Kidd said that Powell “has earned it” when asked about a possible start and confirmed that his staff would consider a lineup adjustment for Friday.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Clippers will look to build on the momentum forged in back-to-back wins when they square off against the up-and-down San Antonio Spurs in the final game of a two-game road trip on Friday.

The Clippers head to the Alamo City after a 109-101 win in Houston on Wednesday that evened their season record at 4-4. Paul George led the way with 28 points and key baskets down the stretch and Marcus Morris Sr. added 21 points (18 of them in the first half) and 10 rebounds in the victory, Los Angeles’ second straight (both over Houston) after four consecutive losses.

Moses Brown added 13 points off the bench for the Clippers while Reggie Jackson hit for 12 in the victory.

“It was a good win for us,” Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said afterward. “We have made a good emphasis on attacking. If we keep playing that way, we can get better.”

Los Angeles played without Kawhi Leonard, who missed his fifth straight game as he deals with ongoing stiffness in his right knee that was surgically repaired before last season. Leonard did not make the road trip with the Clippers and will not play in San Antonio on Friday.

“The stiffness and what he’s going through, just frustrated putting in all the work the last 15 months,” Lue said about Leonard. “To get to this point, and not being where he wants to be right now physically (is frustrating). He’s getting better, and that’s the most important thing.”

It’s been either feast or famine for San Antonio over its first eight games. The Spurs have been able to win five times but have also been blown out twice at home as they try to figure out a rotation and deal with early season injuries.

The Spurs look to rebound after a 143-100 defeat at home to Toronto on Wednesday. It was San Antonio’s worst home loss in team history and the most lopsided defeat in the 27-year tenure in San Antonio for coach Gregg Popovich.

San Antonio played at a disadvantage as starters Keldon Johnson (sore right calf) and Devin Vassell (left knee) were out with injuries. For Vassell, it was his fourth straight missed game, but he is expected to return for Friday’s contest.

The Spurs were also without reserves Isaiah Roby (flu) and Blake Wesley (knee). Rookie forward Jeremy Sochan left early in the second quarter due to restricted minutes after a one-game absence with flu-like symptoms.

That left role players to take the lead. Keita Bates-Diop had 17 points and four rebounds to pace San Antonio while Malakai Branham added 13 points off the bench and Josh Richardson hit for 10 points

“Toronto is strong and long and very athletic and very well coached, and we aren’t quite ready for that,” Popovich said afterward. “Minutes are the best thing for young guys so they can see what they are doing well. (Our guys) tried hard but they were up against something that was a little bit different for them.”

–Field Level Media

After a hard-fought 111-106 win over Portland ended a four-game road trip out West, the Memphis Grizzlies are riding momentum and will return home Friday to take on the slumping Charlotte Hornets.

The steady hand of point guard Ja Morant continues to run the show. Morant ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring (31.4 points per game) and is dishing out 6.4 assists per game.

But fellow guard Desmond Bane has been fantastic early on. After he sat out a Halloween loss to Utah with an ankle injury, Bane returned Wednesday and scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Grizzlies to a victory over the first-place Trail Blazers.

“I started off slow but I’ve kind of found my rhythm, even without last game with my ankle stuff, but I feel good and I’m happy with the win,” Bane said.

Bane is averaging 24.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 33.6 minutes in his third season in the league. His steady presence in the lineup has taken pressure off Morant and given Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins another reliable scorer.

Memphis has four players averaging double figures. In addition to Morant and Bane, the other two are small forward Dillon Brooks (14.6 points) and guard Tyus Jones (11.9 points).

That’s important because Memphis, despite its ability to score (117.3 points per game), has been one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. The Grizzlies are allowing 119.5 points per outing, which ranks 26th in the league entering Thursday.

Charlotte is led on offense by veteran Gordon Hayward, who is questionable to play against Memphis due to a shoulder injury. Hayward left Wednesday’s game versus Chicago due to left shoulder soreness and did not return in the second half.

“It’s something that’s been going on for a couple of games and it’s been really sore and the pain got to be too much at halftime,” Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said. “It’s something that’s been two or three games now that he’s played with it.”

Losing Hayward would be a blow to the Hornets, who have lost two straight and four of five. In the 106-88 loss to the Bulls, Charlotte shot just 7 of 32 from behind the arc.

“This wasn’t about effort,” Clifford said after the loss to the Bulls. “There’s short-handed and then there’s where we are at right now. This is tough stuff.”

Guards Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dennis Smith Jr. will need to pick up the slack if Hayward is unable to play Friday night. Oubre has been a major bright spot for the Hornets so far this season. The eight-year pro is averaging 17.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Smith has also been a pleasant surprise operating at the point. He is averaging 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.

Center Mason Plumlee has been an impact player in the post and will be challenged by the defensive presence of Memphis center Steven Adams.

If Plumlee (8.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists per game) can score and facilitate like he’s done so far this season, it will give Charlotte a big boost on both sides of the court.

–Field Level Media

Having failed to do so against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics get another shot to avenge an earlier defeat when they host the Chicago Bulls in a duel of high-scoring duos Friday night.

While the Bulls were continuing their streaky season with a 106-88 home shellacking of the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, the Celtics were dropping a second straight overtime affair to the Cavaliers, this one 114-113 in Cleveland.

Before Wednesday, the Celtics had lost just two games this season — Oct. 24 at Chicago and last Friday at home against the Cavaliers.

Jaylen Brown had 30 points and Jayson Tatum 26 in the rematch with the Cavaliers, a game in which the Celtics hurt themselves with poor 3-point shooting. With Brown going just 3-for-10 and Tatum 2-for-9, Boston finished 11-for-41 (26.8 percent) from deep.

The Celtics had no such problems in their earlier loss at Chicago. In fact, they shot better from beyond the arc (18-for-48, 37.5 percent) than in front of it (19-for-52, 36.5 percent), with Brown and Tatum combining to go 6-for-15 from deep.

The dynamic Celtics duo teamed for 47 points in the defeat, basically offsetting the 44 points of Bulls stars DeMar DeRozan (25) and Zach LaVine (19).

The outcome was determined close to the hoop, where Chicago big man Nikola Vucevic dominated with 18 points and 23 rebounds. The Bulls outrebounded the Celtics 60-45 and outscored the guests 46-34 in the paint.

Tatum insists he and his mates aren’t overly concerned about wins and losses at this early stage of the season.

“The one thing I realized about being in the Finals,” he said after Wednesday’s loss, “is when you go all the way to playing in June, stressing about a game Nov. 2 … Obviously, you want to win every game you play. But we’ve got 75 more.”

The Bulls have 73 more but have to hope they go more smoothly than the first nine. After an Opening Night victory over the Miami Heat, Chicago has alternated two-game losing and winning streaks.

Vucevic has been the poster boy for the inconsistency. He’s had five games with 13 or more rebounds and four with eight or fewer. His scoring the last four games has gone nine, 23, seven, 14.

“The good thing about the NBA is you play every other night,” he said about his ability to bounce back from bad games. “I’ve been doing this for a very long time. I know how good I am.”

The game pits teams hoping to display improved defenses since their last meeting.

In winning their last two games, the Bulls held the Brooklyn Nets to 99 points and Hornets to 88. They’d given up an average of 113.1 to their first seven opponents.

The Celtics, meanwhile, limited the Cavaliers to 107 in regulation Wednesday after holding the Washington Wizards to 94 in their previous outing. Boston had begun the season allowing 117 or more points in four of five contests.

The Eastern Conference rivals have split their last 10 meetings dating to February of 2019.

–Field Level Media

The Brooklyn Nets will try to leave their off-the-court drama in their rearview mirror on Friday when they open a three-game road trip against the Washington Wizards.

The Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five games without pay Thursday night after he repeatedly failed to disavow antisemitism or apologize for a social media post about a book and movie that featured antisemitic tropes, which caused a public firestorm.

Nets owner Joe Tsai and NBA commissioner Adam Silver condemned Irving’s post, and Irving later acknowledged the “negative impact” he caused in a joint statement with the Nets and the Anti-Defamation League.

However, Irving did not apologize in the statement and the ADL has since refused a $500,000 donation from him. Irving also avoided apologizing during a tense meeting with the media Thursday afternoon.

“Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team,” the Nets said in a statement. “Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets. We have decided that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period served is no less than five games.”

Then there’s what’s happening on the court. The Nets have been idle since dropping their fifth outing in six games with a 108-99 setback to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. That came on the heels of the team parting ways with former coach Steve Nash, and reports circulating that the team has engaged in a process to name Ime Udoka, suspended by the Boston Celtics, as a potential replacement.

Brooklyn is surrendering a generous 118.8 points per game and allowing the opposition to make 41.2 percent of its 3-point attempts.

“The message I told the guys after (was) no excuses,” interim coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Whether it’s back-to-backs, no excuses. Whether the change in scenery today, no excuses. This is what we do for a living. We signed up for it.”

Kevin Durant collected 32 points and nine rebounds on Tuesday. The 12-time All-Star and former league MVP has made 22 of 38 shots over his last two games.

“Let’s be real, we’re pros, we’re veterans. We had a tough start,” Durant said when asked about the team’s struggles and the latest coaching move. “It was a rocky year last year, rocky summer. We knew that everybody was being evaluated.”

Kristaps Porzingis followed up his 32-point, nine-rebound performance in Washington’s 118-111 loss to Philadelphia on Monday with 30 and nine, respectively, in the Wizards’ 121-111 victory over the 76ers on Wednesday. Porzingis also had three assists, three blocks and one steal in the more recent game.

Porzingis averages team-best totals in rebounds (8.5) and blocks (1.3), while Bradley Beal leads the club in points (21.8) and assists (6.0).

“Teams gotta make a choice, man,” Beal said after he scored 29 points on Wednesday to help halt Washington’s three-game losing streak.

“If a big is gonna switch out on me, I can go by the big, I can get whatever shot I want. And if a small is gonna be on him, he can literally stand over you and shoot the ball, so like Doc (Rivers, 76ers coach) said, man, we’re gonna be a duo to reckon with.”

Rui Hachimura had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the seventh double-double of his career and his first since he had 20 points and 10 boards in a 113-106 loss to Brooklyn on March 21, 2021.

–Field Level Media