Dragic-less Suns Fall to Trail Blazers in Final Preseason Game

These same two teams played last week with the Suns winning 110-104 in Portland's old Memorial Arena in a special throwback game. Last night the Blazers got their revenge beating the Suns in their second home of Vancouver, BC by the score of 113-93.

The difference between those two games was obvious. Goran Dragic. Dragic played 15 minutes and had 9 points and 5 assists in the Suns win. He was sidelined in the loss with an infected pinky toe.

Obviously, we can now put to rest any question about Goran's ability to impact the Suns chances. We now have proof positive. Same two teams play one week apart and without Dragic the Suns can't win. Case closed.

Forget about the -22 rebounding differential in the loss vs -14 in the win and ignore the fact that the Suns made 5 more three point shots last week than last night.

Those stats are the result of Dragic not playing. Obviously.

Game Links

• Trail Blazers vs Suns boxscore
• Trail Blazers vs Suns recap
• Trail Blazers vs Suns coverage
• Preseason Game 8: Blazers 113 Suns 93 - Blazersedge
  Preseason Game 8 Recap: Blazers versus Suns. A recap of the final preseason game for the Portland Trail Blazers.
• Portland 113, Phoenix 93: All signs point to Steve Blake starting | The Blazers Beat - OregonLive.com
• Suns manhandled in Vancouver on the boards| Valley of the Suns
  Once again the Phoenix Suns showed why most analysts have them on the outside looking in this upcoming season. The rebounding deficit said it all for the Suns, 50-28.
• Vancouver and NBA: Bitter divorce to better bedfellows - The Globe and Mail
  Eight years after the Grizzlies fled south to Memphis, are the circumstances right for a triumphant return to town?