Phoenix Suns suffer worst loss in franchise history in season-opening loss to Portland Trail Blazers

Devin Booker dressed slowly, his back to reporters who were still in the Suns’ locker room, waiting for a word.

Finally, he turned around, a grim look on his face.

How does this happen, he was asked? How did the Suns, on the first game of their 50th season, suffer the worst loss in franchise history, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers, 124-76?

“That’s a great question,” he said. “We just got our asses kicked from the beginning to the end.”

Before Wednesday’s game the Suns played a video montage showing some of the great players in franchise history. Connie Hawkins, Paul Westphal, Walter Davis, Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson. The night was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, the Suns made the wrong kind of history.

The 48-point defeat eclipsed the worst loss in franchise history, which had been 44 points set in 1988 against the Seattle SuperSonics. It also was the worst opening-night loss in NBA history. And the 48-point margin could have been worse; the Blazers led by 58 points before emptying their bench.

There's more. The Suns bench was outscored in the first half by the Blazers bench, 24-0. Phoenix was outrebounded 57-33. The Suns made their first 3-point shot – a baseline jumper by Josh Jackson – then missed their next 13 attempts. The Suns also had more turnovers (16) than assists (10) and the 76 points were fewer than they scored in any game last season.

Other than that …

“Portland came in here and they basically kicked our butts as bad as they could,” coach Earl Watson said.

Was Watson surprised by how poorly the Suns played?

“Embarrassed is more the word,” he said.

It’s one thing to shoot the ball poorly – and the Suns did that, shooting just 31.5 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from 3-point range. Getting beat on the boards by the bigger, more experienced Blazers also wasn’t a shock. But what disappointed the Suns was their lack of fight.

“We can’t come in here thinking our age is an issue,” Watson said. “When you get into this game, you get into this league you have to play a certain way, in the paint, out of the paint, mindset, continue to play every possession like it’s your last. … We have to play better, we have to play at a certain level, we have to play at a certain intensity.”

Watson started a lineup of Tyson Chandler at center, Booker and Eric Bledsoe in the backcourt and T.J. Warren and Jackson manning the forward positions. At one point, the Suns actually led by seven, and it was still a 31-28 Portland lead early in the second quarter.

The Blazers then went on an 87-32 run.

Nothing Watson tried worked. He used a small lineup with Booker as the small forward. He played Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss at center. The only Sun to do anything offensively was Mike James, who poured in 12 fourth-quarter points in 10 minutes of play. Watson indicated after the game that James had worked his way into the playing rotation.

“I think Mike James showed he’s an offensive player in this league. We need scoring,” Watson said. “Rebounding we have to fight. I understand we’re smaller, not as strong, but you still have to fight. Scoring, you can make an adjustment.”

Bledsoe took responsibility for the loss, saying, “I don’t think I led the guys tonight.” But he had followers. Booker made just 6 of 17 shots before leaving the game midway through the third quarter with a leg cramp. Chriss had five fouls and one rebound in 12 minutes. Warren and Jackson were a combined 7 of 21 from the field. Bender had seven rebounds in 20 minutes but didn’t make a field goal.

The Suns’ 10 assists came on 28 field goals, an indication they got caught playing too much one-on-one basketball.

“I think sometimes the ball sticks in our hands a little bit and we just need to share it a little bit more,” James said.

Watson said he couldn’t repeat what he told the players in the locker room.

“Coach didn’t have to say anything to us,” Booker said. “Luckily, it was only worth one loss. It felt like five.”

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