Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns: Game preview, prediction, time, TV channel

Game Preview

The Portland Trail Blazers will face the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night in a battle of two of the top teams in the Western Conference. The Suns are the No. 1 seed in the West, while the Blazers are the No. 6 seed. The Suns are coming off a 115-109 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 35 points, while Chris Paul added 19 points and 14 assists. The Blazers are coming off a 124-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Damian Lillard led the way for the Blazers with 30 points, while CJ McCollum added 23 points.

Prediction

The Suns are a heavy favorite in this game. They have the home-court advantage and are the more experienced team. The Blazers will need to play their best game of the season to pull off an upset.

Time and TV Channel

The game will tip off at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Key Matchups

* **Devin Booker vs. Damian Lillard:** This is a matchup of two of the best guards in the NBA. Booker is a dynamic scorer and playmaker, while Lillard is a dangerous shooter and scorer. * **Chris Paul vs. CJ McCollum:** This is another matchup of two All-Star guards. Paul is a veteran leader who can control the game with his passing and defense, while McCollum is a talented scorer and shooter. * **Deandre Ayton vs. Jusuf Nurkic:** This is a matchup of two of the best young centers in the NBA. Ayton is a skilled scorer and rebounder, while Nurkic is a tough defender and rebounder.

X-Factors

* **The Suns' bench:** The Suns have a deep bench that can provide them with a lot of scoring and defense. Cameron Payne, Mikal Bridges, and Dario Saric are all capable of making a big impact on the game. * **The Blazers' 3-point shooting:** The Blazers are one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. They need to make their threes in order to have a chance to win this game. * **The Suns' defense:** The Suns have one of the best defenses in the NBA. They need to be able to slow down the Blazers' offense in order to win this game.

Conclusion

The Suns are a heavy favorite in this game, but the Blazers have the potential to pull off an upset. The key for the Blazers will be to make their threes and play good defense.