Portland Trail Blazers (45-25) at Phoenix Suns (38-34), 10 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Northwest Division-leading Portland Trail Blazers were able to get back on track last time out and will carry their momentum into Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns.
In the midst of playing seven of eight games on the road, the Trail Blazers handed the Utah Jazz a 92-89 setback Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
Damian Lillard led the visitors with 23 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, and LaMarcus Aldridge chipped in 19 points with nine boards. Dorell Wright rounded out the double-digit scorers with 15 points off the bench for the Blazers, who halted a season-long five-game slide.
Portland had lost its previous four road assignments and erased an 11-point deficit in the final stanza.
"I don't think it's a big win like we just beat Golden State or something like that, but it's a big win because of the five-game losing streak," Lillard said.
The Blazers shot 42 percent from the floor and put the game away with a 37-24 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter.
Blazers forward Nicolas Batum (back) missed his second straight game and is questionable Friday. He is posting an average of 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season.
Portland, which sits fourth in the Western Conference, looks to even its 17-18 road mark Friday night and will return home for three games versus Denver, Phoenix and the LA Clippers.
The Suns are fighting for their playoff lives and sit three games behind Oklahoma City for the eighth and final postseason spot in the West.
Phoenix suffered a tough 108-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, as Markieff Morris scored 24 points and both Eric Bledsoe and Marcus Morris recorded 19 points. Archie Goodwin scored 15 points off the bench for the Suns, who had won four in a row and seven of the previous 10 games.
"No excuses. We just have to keep fighting," Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe (illness) is probable Friday and guards Brandon Knight (ankle) and Marcus Thornton (toe) are questionable.
The Suns opened their four-game homestand with a win over the Dallas Mavericks and will close the stay Sunday versus the Thunder. Phoenix is 21-16 at US Airways Center this season.
Phoenix is fifth in the NBA with 104.2 ppg and Portland isn't too far off with an average of 102.5 ppg. The two teams have split the first two meetings and will play again March 30 in the Rose City.
The Suns are 9-4 in the last 13 games in this series with Portland, which has dropped seven in a row in the desert.