Prediction published on 11/18/25, 6:21 PM
 by
Erik Gibbs
in
NBA Picks
The Phoenix Suns head to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday for a meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center, with both teams looking to steady themselves after recent setbacks. Phoenix arrives at 8–6 overall and sits eighth in the Western Conference. Their road form has been shakier at 2–4, and they are coming off a gut-punch of a loss on Sunday when they fell 124–122 to Atlanta.
In that matchup, the Suns appeared to be in full control before everything unraveled late. They built a commanding 22-point lead but were overwhelmed in the fourth quarter, giving up 47 points and watching a double-digit cushion evaporate in minutes. The loss not only ended their five-game winning streak but also highlighted some defensive inconsistency that has troubled them in recent outings, as they have allowed opponents to pile up points at a concerning rate.
Portland, meanwhile, enters the night at 6–7 and one spot below Phoenix in the standings. The Trail Blazers have been much more comfortable at home, owning a 3–2 record at Moda Center, but they come into this game after back-to-back defeats. Their latest outing, a 138–133 overtime loss at Dallas, showcased their scoring potency but again underscored defensive struggles that have lingered since early November.
The team has yet to rediscover the defensive intensity that carried them to a signature win over Oklahoma City on November 5, the only loss the defending champions have suffered this season. Since then, Portland has allowed a steady stream of big performances from opposing backcourts, a troubling pattern given their current injury concerns in the guard rotation.