The NBA Play-In game on April 14 features the Phoenix Suns against the Portland Trail Blazers, with the winner advancing to face the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams have shown surprising performances this season, particularly in defense.
TheĀ NBAĀ Playoffs will start with the play-in on Tuesday, April 14. Two games will take place that day. The Charlotte Hornets play the Miami Heat, and the Phoenix Suns will play the Portland Trail Blazers.
Unlike the Heat-Hornets game, the Suns-Trail Blazers have positive implications for the winner. They advance to play the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The loser will play the winner of the 9/10 game (Clippers-Warriors).
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The Suns have been one of the surprises of the NBA. Despite a lackluster offense ranked No. 25 in points per game, theyāre a really strong defensive team, and guys like Dillon Brooks (20.2 points per game) and Grayson Allen (16.5 PPG) have thrived in the system. Head coach Jordan Ott could be one of the finalists for Coach of the Year for piloting the Suns to a great record.
The Trail Blazers have also surprised, but not as much as the Suns. Theyāve taken a step up from bad to mediocre, with Deni Avdija breaking out. They also ended the year on a torrid pace, going 10-4 since March 15. First-year head coach Tiago Splitter is looking to earn the Trail Blazers a playoff spot, too, but the matchups will determine the game.
Hereās an interesting one to start. Jrue Holiday has two things over Devin Booker. He has legitimate postseason experience, helping the Boston Celtics win a title in 2023. Heās also brought back his offensive game a big, with 16.3 points (three-season high), 4.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Heās still a pest defensively, although not as good as his prime.
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Still, itās tough to compare him to Devin Booker. Heās a bona fide superstar, averaging 26.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Even during the Sunsā worst games, heās gotten his due. Heās scored 20 or more points in all but two games since heās come back from his hip injury on March 3.
If Holiday is able to contain Booker, it could swing the momentum to Portland. However, I seriously doubt that happens.
Winner: Devin Booker
I decided to put Sharpe here even though Tounami Camara has been the starting shooting guard recently. Sharpeās averaged less than 20 minutes since recovering from his fibula injury, but he should get more minutes in this game.
Sharpe and Green match up really well against each other. Sharpe is one of Portlandās top options offensively, with 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. However, while heās shooting 45.2% from the field, heās shooting just 33.7% from behind the arc.
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He goes against someone with a similar play style in Jalen Green. Green is a primary ball handler who takes a lot of the load offensively, for better or worse. He averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He did shot an ugly 42.2% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range.
This one is tough to gauge since Sharpe might still not be 100%. Still, I trust Sharpeās impact will be better than Jalen Greenās.
Winner: Shaedon Sharpe
Grayson Allen would usually be here in this spot, but heās a game-time decision, so I could see the Suns restuing Allen to help him get back to form in the 8/9 game later on in the week.
That leaves this matchup feeling pretty lopsided. Goodwin is a nice story, becoming a valuable piece of the Sunsā rotation after the Los Angeles Lakers waived him in July 2025. However, he has just 8.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Heās shooting 41.3% from the field, and while heās an awesome defensive forward, his offensive impact is rather limited.
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Thatās the opposite of Deni Avdija. Heās always been a more offensive-first forward, but this season has seen a new form from him. Avdija has a career-high 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and a career-high 6.7 assists per game. Heās taken over as the No. 1 option on offense for Portland.
If Allen does play, it gets a little harder for Avdija. Allen is a pest defensively, and heās broken out to become solid offensively, too. Heās averaging 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while also earning 1.4 steals per game. However, even with Allen, I still think Avdija should win this matchup.
Winner: Deni Avdija
Similar to the Sunsā small forward, the Trail Blazersā starting power forward status is up in the air. Jerami Grant suffered a calf injury in Portlandās contest against the Dallas Mavericks on March 27. Heās missed the past seven games for the Blazers, but has he recovered enough to play?
If not, I would put Toumani Camara against Dillon Brooks instead of elevating Matisse Thybulle. Camara matches up better with Brooks. While heās averaged 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, heās really good defensively, earning the No. 9 most Defensive Player of the Year votes last season.
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Dillon Brooks has turned a corner offensively, averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, but heās been worse defensively. He has a -1.3 defensive box plus/minus, which is -0.1 away from his career low in 2019-20.
If Jerami Grant comes in, that could make it a little easier for Dillon Brooks. Grant is averaging 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, but heās also pretty bad defensively, with a -0.9 defensive box plus/minus. Still, Grant has a much better true shooting percentage (60.8%) than Dillon Brooks (54.3%). Either way you slice it, the Blazers should have an advantage at the No. 4 spot.
Winner: Jerami Grant/Toumani Camara
This matchup probably wonāt win or lose the game for either team, but itās still an important one to win. Mark Williams has ben a sturdy presence since the Suns acquired him from the Charlotte Hornets. Williams averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game over the regular season while shooting a great 67.5% true shooting percentage.
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However, he shouldnāt be any match for Donovan Clingan. The second-year center has taken a major step in his development, averaging 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Heās one of the best defensive centers in the league, with 1.7 blocks per game vs. Williamsā 0.9 blocks per game. As a result, I think Portland wins this matchup, too.
Winner: Donovan Clingan
The Trail Blazersā bench may look more well-rounded than the Sunsā at first glance. Scoot Henderson and rookie Caleb Love are averaging over 10 points per game, and quality contributions from Vit Krejci, Robert Williams III, and Kris Murray make the bench stand out.
However, the Suns have a lot of defensive specialists on the bench. Collin Gillespie is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, with great offensive and defensive metrics, with a positive offensive box plus/minus (1.9), defensive box plus/minus (0.6) and value over replacement player (2.6).
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Outside of him, Oso Ighodaro is one of the best defenders off the bench, averaging 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks off the bench. The Suns have the no. 9 bench net rating (-1.1) while the Blazers have the no. 20 (-5.5).
That makes it a lot harder to judge, but Iām going to pick the Suns anyway. The Trail Blazers have been playing better basketball than them and have more favorable matchups, but the status of Jerami Grant is uncertain, and if he does play, he might not be 100%. Thatās a major cog that Portland may not be able to account for, so the Suns should come away with a narrow victory.
This game will take place at 10:00 p.m. ET. Whoever wins this game will face the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs, while the loser of the game will face whoever wins between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers
All odds are through DraftKings
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, callĀ 1-800-GAMBLER.
The winner of the Suns vs. Trail Blazers game will advance to play the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.
The play-in game between the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14.
The Phoenix Suns have been a surprising team, excelling defensively despite having a low-ranked offense, and they are led by head coach Jordan Ott.
Key players include Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen for the Suns, and Deni Avdija for the Trail Blazers, who have both shown significant contributions this season.
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