Preview: Can Suns Overcome Injuries, Tough Trail Blazers?

The Phoenix Suns are on the second night of a back-to-back after their double overtime win against the Orlando Magic, and they'll have to do so undermanned.

Devin Booker is out for the next week while Dillon Brooks reportedly broke his left hand and will miss the foreseeable future amount of games. Jordan Goodwin is also expected to be out tonight, too.

The Blazers have found their form as of late and are now considered to be favorites entering tonight's battle at Mortgage Matchup Center.

To gain a better preview of tonight, we linked up with Blazers On SI's Jeremy Brener to see Portland's side of things ahead of tip:

1. Talk to me about the Blazers’ trade deadline and your overall thoughts on what they did

Jeremy Brener: The Blazers were pretty quiet at the trade deadline, but they made a savvy move with the Atlanta Hawks to swap backup center Duop Reath for 3-point specialist Vit Krejci. The Blazers are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league, so adding Krejci was a necessary move for the team.

They also got Scoot Henderson back from a long-term hamstring injury that held him out for the entire first half of the season pretty much. Getting him back is another "trade deadline" acquisition that should help the Blazers improve going down the stretch.

2. The Blazers are tenth in the West. What’s the expectation they actually are able to make the play-in?

Brener: They have a great chance to make the Play-In Tournament. Simply look at the teams that are below them in the standings. The Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings are all a huge step behind the Blazers and they are already focused on the draft this summer and beyond.

If they don't make the Play-In Tournament, it will be an epic collapse.

3. Most important stat to note for Portland?

Brener: 54 points. That's how much the Blazers lost their last game against the Nuggets. This is a chance for the Blazers to absolutely put that behind them and move forward. It wasn't the best way to start the second half of the season, but the team is looking forward to putting things behind them with a strong showing against the Suns.

4. If the Blazers win today, it’s because (blank)

Brener: ... they come out focused with a chip on their shoulder. The Blazers know they can play better than they did against the Nuggets and they are in a position to play well with the Suns injured beyond belief. Coming off the second night of a back-to-back in which the Suns won in overtime, this is a prime opportunity for the Blazers to pick up a win.

5. Final predictions

Brener: The Blazers take advantage of the Suns' situation and grab a win to get them back on track. I'm expecting the Blazers to come out mad, leading to a double-digit win against the Suns.