Green scores 35 but questions referee consistency as Phoenix falls 114-110 to Portland
The Phoenix Suns’ Play-In Tournament run suffered a painful setback on Tuesday, April 15, 2026, falling 114-110 to the Portland Trail Blazers at home in a game they had every opportunity to win. Jalen Green delivered a strong individual effort but walked away from the court visibly frustrated, directing pointed postgame commentary toward the officiating crew.
Green led all scorers with 35 points, adding five rebounds and two assists. He had the ball with less than 10 seconds left and a chance to put the Suns ahead with a three-point attempt, but the shot did not connect. Jordan Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound off the miss, Jrue Holiday stripped the ball and found Jerami Grant for an emphatic slam with just 0.6 seconds remaining to seal the result. Portland secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and will face the San Antonio Spurs when the first round begins.
Phoenix is not eliminated yet. The Suns have one more game on Friday, hosting the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors play-in matchup for the No. 8 seed in the West.
Green’s pointed message to the referees
In his postgame media session, Green chose not to comment on Deni Avdija’s performance, though the Blazers forward was a pivotal figure in the final minutes. Avdija attacked the rim aggressively late in the fourth quarter, converting a go-ahead layup while drawing the foul with 16 seconds remaining to give Portland a 112-110 advantage the Suns could not overcome.
What Green addressed instead was what he viewed as a lack of consistency in how foul calls were distributed throughout the game. His message was pointed but measured: if referees are going to call a specific type of foul, that standard needs to apply equally on both ends of the floor rather than favoring one side all night. He framed his remarks as a personal opinion, though the frustration behind them was not difficult to read.
The free throw numbers lent his perspective real context. Avdija attempted 13 free throws during the game and converted eight, matching the same total number of attempts as Devin Booker on the Phoenix side. Green, his team’s primary offensive weapon, went just five for six from the line during a night when he was clearly the most dangerous scorer on the floor.
Knee uncertainty clouds Friday availability
Beyond the officiating conversation, Green’s physical status heading into Friday’s elimination game represents a genuine concern for the Suns. He had missed the final two regular-season games with a sore right knee and was only cleared to play Tuesday after going through the necessary evaluations. He then logged nearly 39 minutes against Portland, a significant workload for a player who has spent much of his first season in Phoenix managing right-side injuries.
When asked directly whether he would be ready for Friday’s must-win game, Green offered no certainty, only expressing his intention to take care of his body and prepare as thoroughly as possible before tip-off.
The knee concern carries real weight when considering how much his injury history has already defined his debut season with the Suns. Green appeared in just 32 regular-season games, averaging 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest — numbers that reflect a player whose impact when healthy is substantial, but whose availability has been the persistent variable all year long.
Portland’s record-setting shooting night
Despite his frustration, Green gave Portland genuine credit for its performance on Tuesday. The Blazers connected on 17 three-pointers during the game, well above their season average of 14.5 made threes per night and the best shooting performance they had produced all year. Portland picked the right moment to catch fire from deep, and it proved to be the decisive factor that pushed the Blazers into the first round and sent the Suns home with one final chance to salvage their season.
Source: Juan Paolo David, Heavy Sports, published April 15, 2026