• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Suns-Trail Blazers Preview

Apr 23, 2010 - 10:22 PM By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer

Phoenix At Portland, Game Two, 4:30 p.m. EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- There is no secret to the Phoenix Suns' success so far against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Offensively, it essentially boils down to an effective screen-and-roll before kicking the ball out to the perimeter. In the Suns' case, the perimeter is Jason Richardson.

For the past two games of their first-round playoff series against the Blazers, the Suns' strategy has worked perfectly.

Richardson had a career playoff-best 42 points - including eight 3-pointers - in a 108-89 Phoenix victory in Portland on Thursday night, after a 29-point performance in the Suns' 119-90 victory at home in Game 2.

Phoenix leads the series 2-1 headed into Saturday's game at the Rose Garden.

Coach Alvin Gentry broke down the Suns' deceptively simple strategy following Game 3.

"If you're going to trap the screen-and-roll with Steve (Nash), then you have to have an extra defender, the weak-side defender has to take the roll guy. And if he takes the roll guy, then, if we swing it to Channing (Frye), they either rotate to him or they've got to play halfway. Channing did a good job of swinging the ball immediately to J-Rich, and J-Rich had open shots," Gentry said.

So - with no big mystery out there - the issue for the Blazers is what to do about it.

"They are doing some things that they normally don't do," said Blazers guard Andre Miller, who had 31 points in the first game of the series but has struggled since. "Trapping the post, trapping the pick-and-roll, and forcing us to kick the ball around.

"We have to be patient, make the extra pass. We have to rely on our defense to kick-start our offense."

The Blazers have had trouble in the last two games after the Suns made fast starts and built big leads early. While Portland was able to slow Phoenix down in the opener, they haven't found a way to readjust to the Suns' adjustments in Game 2.

In addition to slowing Miller with veteran Grant Hill, the Suns have double-teamed LaMarcus Aldridge, the team's top offensive threat in the absence of Brandon Roy.

"We've struggled to get our guys going," coach Nate McMillan said. "We can't get into foul trouble, one, and two, other guys have got to make shots. When they get their opportunities, they're going to have to knock down their shots."

The Suns were counting on the Blazers to do just that on Saturday.

"We know that Game 4 is going to be very tough," Richardson said. "This team is not going to bow down to us. They've got their backs against the wall and they're a pretty good team. We can't get too relaxed, we've still got to come out aggressive like we have the last two games."

But the Blazers have another challenge, overcoming yet another injury.

Forward Nicolas Batum, arguably the team's best perimeter defender, aggravated the right shoulder injury he first suffered in Game 2. The Blazers were calling his availability for Saturday a game-time decision.

The injury was troublesome because Batum had surgery on the same shoulder before the start of the season and he missed 45 games.

The Blazers can't seem to catch a break when it comes to injuries. They're without All-Star guard and team leader Roy, who had arthroscopic surgery on his knee to repair a torn meniscus two days before the start of the playoffs.

Roy was earlier ruled out of the series against the Suns, although he said he feels great and there's a possibility he could play if the Blazers make it to a Game 7.

After Batum was sidelined to start the season, the Blazers lost centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla to season-ending knee injuries, swingman Rudy Fernandez had back issues and Travis Outlaw had foot surgery. Outlaw was later traded to the Clippers in a deal that brought center Marcus Camby to Portland.

In all, 13 Blazers missed a combined 311 regular-season games, second only to Golden State this season. Only Miller and forward Martell Webster played in all 82 games.

Miller said the Blazers are going to have to "nasty it up a little bit" for Game 4, forcing the Suns out of their comfort zone.

"We are still confident. We know we can play with these guys, we have to prove it," he said. "What they have proved in the last couple of games is that they can make adjustments, and continue to get their offense going.

"They are playing their game. We've got to control that."