The Portland Trail Blazers desperately need a victory after losing nine of their last 11. The Phoenix Suns desperately need a win in general. The Suns, who began the season 8-1, have lost 10 of their last 15 games to find themselves 10th in the Western Conference at 13-11.

Last season, Phoenix went 25-16 at home under Vogel in the regular season but were 0-2 at Footprint Center in the postseason. The Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Suns in the first round, taking Game 4 by six points, 122-116, at Footprint Center.

To put it mildly: the Portland Trail Blazers are going through a rough patch. They’ve lost five consecutive games, most recently to the San Antonio Spurs in a nail-biter on Friday that ended in defeat 118-116.

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan returned Friday night after missing seven games with a knee sprain. A minutes restriction prevented him from making a significant impact during the team’s 118-116 loss at the Moda Center.

After missing the past seven games, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups thought Donovan Clingan performed well in his return from a knee injury.