Injury-Hit Suns And Trail Blazers Battle In Gritty Phoenix Showdown

The Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers clashed at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 22, 2026, in a matchup that was as much about resilience as it was about basketball. Both teams entered the contest battered by injuries and recent emotional swings, setting the stage for a gritty Western Conference showdown that had fans and analysts alike on the edge of their seats. Coming into the game, the Suns held a 33-24 record and led the season series 2-0 against the visiting Trail Blazers, who stood at 27-30. The Blazers, despite winning four of their last five before the All-Star break, had just suffered a historic 157-103 blowout at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. That defeat tied the mark for the third-most points allowed in franchise history and left interim coach Tiago Splitter searching for answers. "One of the worst games of the season," Splitter admitted. "We were just not ready. Sometimes you get punched in the face. Then you react." The Suns, meanwhile, were riding high after a dramatic double-overtime victory over the Orlando Magic, secured by Jalen Green’s buzzer-beating three-pointer. But the win came at a steep price. Forward Dillon Brooks, averaging 21.2 points and 3.7 rebounds, broke his left hand in the first quarter and was ruled out indefinitely. The injury bug didn’t stop there: All-Star guard Devin Booker was sidelined with a strained right hip, set to be reevaluated in a week, and reserve guard Jordan Goodwin left the Orlando game with a calf injury, pending MRI results. Coach Jordan Ott summed up the mood in the Suns’ locker room: "It's happened back-to-back games for us. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. No one cares. The only group that can help you when you are stranded is your group. So we just have to find a solution." Grayson Allen, returning from a four-game absence due to a knee injury, had poured in 27 points against Orlando, but with Brooks and Booker out, the Suns faced a serious scoring deficit. The pressure was on role players like Collin Gillespie, Royce O’Neale, and Ryan Dunn to step up and fill the void. "That's my guy," Jalen Green said of Brooks. "He's needed out there." Green himself had just nine games under his belt this season, but his late-game heroics had the city buzzing. On the other side, the Blazers were grappling with their own injury woes. Damian Lillard (Achilles) was out for the season, Shaedon Sharpe (calf) remained sidelined, and Deni Avdija (back) was questionable. Splitter emphasized the need for collective effort: "Everybody has to look inside yourself. How can we be ready in these moments, stay together? We all have to do this together. There is no individual who is going to take us and do it by himself." Avdija, having a breakout year, led Portland in scoring (25.0 points) and assists (6.8) per game while ranking second in rebounds (7.2). Against Denver, he tallied 15 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds, but also committed six turnovers. Second-leading scorer Sharpe (21.4 points) was still out, leaving the Blazers shorthanded in the backcourt. The game itself was a test of depth and adaptability. Both teams were missing significant firepower, and the injury report read like a laundry list. For the Suns, Jalen Green (knee) and Grayson Allen (ankle) were questionable, while Booker, Brooks, Goodwin, Haywood Highsmith, and Cole Anthony were all confirmed out. The Blazers were without Lillard, Sharpe, and Yang Hansen, with Avdija’s status uncertain up until tip-off. Strategically, the matchup promised a barrage of three-point attempts. Portland, despite ranking just 28th in three-point percentage (34.1%), hoisted the second-most threes in the league at 42.5 per game. The Suns, for their part, were fifth in three-point rate but only 23rd in accuracy for February, hitting at a 34.2% clip. The absence of Brooks and Booker meant Phoenix would need big contributions from the supporting cast to keep pace with Portland’s perimeter attack. Rebounding was another key battleground. The Blazers were sixth in the NBA in total rebounds (45.9 per game) and third in offensive rebounding rate (35.4%). Donovan Clingan, leading the league with 4.7 offensive boards per game, set the tone for Portland’s relentless pursuit of second-chance points—an area where they topped the NBA with 18.3 per night. The Suns, already thin up front, had to box out and fight for every loose ball to avoid being overwhelmed on the glass. As the game tipped off, fans wondered who would rise to the occasion. Would it be a night for a role player to shine, or would the stars still standing find a way to will their teams to victory? The Suns, boasting a 19-10 record at home, had the edge in the friendly confines of Mortgage Matchup Center, but the Blazers were 4-2 in their last six and looking to bounce back with urgency. "I think we're going to bounce back," Splitter said. "Go to Phoenix and bounce back like (the Nuggets) did. Come in with a sense of urgency to win and do the right things—effort on defense, talk, communicate." Betting lines reflected the uncertainty: Trail Blazers were favored at -170 on the moneyline and -3.5 on the spread, with the over/under set at 222.5. Pundits predicted a high-scoring affair, with projections ranging from a 118-109 Blazers win to a tight 118-115 Suns victory. The consensus was clear—expect the unexpected. For both teams, this game was about more than just the standings. It was a gut check, a chance to show resilience in the face of adversity. As Coach Ott put it, "You find any way you can to win and then you move on. In the standings, it doesn't matter." With the Western Conference playoff race heating up, every game, every possession, and every rebound mattered just a little bit more. As the action unfolded in Phoenix, the outcome remained in doubt, with both sides fighting tooth and nail despite depleted rosters. Fans and analysts alike were left to marvel at the heart and hustle on display, a testament to what makes NBA basketball so captivating—even when the stars are sidelined. The story of this night was one of perseverance, teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of victory, no matter the odds.