No point guard? No problem for the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns.
Jerami Grant beat the buzzer with a baseline jumper and the Blazers overcame the absence of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons, due to injuries to beat the Suns 108-106 to begin their six-game road trip.
The Blazers (6-2) got their last-second opportunity after Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges was called for traveling with 1.0 second to play and the game tied at 106-106. Justise Winslow inbounded the ball to Grant, who shook off Deandre Ayton and rattled in the game-winning shot.
Grant finished with 30 points and five assists. Winslow, a forward who handled point guard duties, flirted with a triple-double by tallying 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
The Suns fell to 6-2 on the season, with both losses coming to the Blazers.
Lillard sat out with a calf strain. Simons was out with foot inflammation.
LIVE UPDATES RECAP
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT PHOENIX SUNS
What: Trail Blazers (5-2) at Suns (6-1), 7 p.m., Friday.
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: Root Sports Plus (in Portland: Comcast 1253, DirecTV 687-1).
Watch the game live online: You can watch this game live for FREE with fuboTV (free trial). You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream’s “CHOICE” package (promotional offers), if you are out of fuboTV trials, or simply prefer that platform and their pricing plans. If you already have a cable or satellite provider that carries Root Sports and want to watch online, you can watch this game live on Root Sports Live.
ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)
Moneyline: POR +510 | PHX -700
Spread: POR +12 | Over/Under: 216.5
INJURIES
Blazers: G Anfernee Simons (left foot inflammation), F Trendon Watford (right hip flexor strain) is questionable. Damian Lillard (right calf strain), G Gary Payton II (core muscle surgery recovery) and C Olivier Sarr (right wrist sprain) are out.
Suns: C Deandre Ayton (left ankle sprain) and F Torrey Craig (left heel contusion) are probable. G Cameron Payne (left foot soreness) is questionable. F Jae Crowder (not with team) and Ish Wainright (personal reasons) are out.
NEXT UP
The Blazers face the Suns again on Saturday at 7 p.m.
-- Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories