5 Key Questions Ahead of Suns vs Trail Blazers Play-In Battle

The Phoenix Suns have a massive test ahead of them.

NBA play-in action is around the corner ahead of Tuesday's battle against the Portland Trail Blazers. While the Suns have been a fun story, they're not wanting to settle.

We teamed up with Trail Blazers On SI's Jeremy Brener to get a better preview of Tuesday night's battle at Mortgage Matchup Center:

How have the Blazers been since the Suns visited them back in late February?

Brener: During the last meeting between the Blazers and Suns, Deni Avdija suffered a re-aggravation of his back injury that held him out for a six-game absence. Since his return, the Blazers are 12-6 and have been playing their best basketball over the final month or so of the season.

Big wins against the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch gave them the tiebreaker for the eighth seed, and the team has a lot of momentum, especially after winning their last two games of the season against the Clippers and Sacramento Kings.

The Blazers are back into the postseason. What is the biggest reason behind that?

Brener: Deni Avdija has truly emerged as a top-scoring option, which wasn't the case a year ago. His ascent toward All-Star status has given the Blazers a hierarchy on offense and an identity as well.

Veteran guard Jrue Holiday is also a big part of the reason behind the team's success, and it appears the locker room has truly rallied around interim head coach Tiago Splitter, who took over after the first game of the season following Chauncey Billups' arrest.

Who is the X-Factor for the Blazers against the Suns?

Brener: I'm curious to see how Shaedon Sharpe performs against the Suns. He has been out for a good chunk of the season, missing 32 games, mostly with a leg injury, in the final two or so months. He returned to action off the bench in the team's last two games, which is a sign that he could be a contributor for the postseason run.

If Sharpe is able to bump up his minutes from around 15 to 20 or even 25, the Blazers could have another strong scorer that makes their offense that much more dangerous.

If the Blazers were to lose to the Suns, what would be the reason why?

Brener: If the Blazers let anyone other than Devin Booker get hot during this game, it will be very hard for them to pull out a win. Booker is expected to be a monster, as he's proven in past playoffs, but the Blazers cannot allow someone like Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, or Collin Gillespie to get hot as well. If they have to work past two top scorers, it will be unlikely for them to come out of the Valley with a win.

What’s your prediction for the game?

Brener: The Suns won the regular season series 2-1, and the loss in Phoenix came on the second night of a back-to-back, after they had just beaten the Orlando Magic in double overtime. That game shouldn't have much weight in the season series. It's hard to imagine the Suns not coming out with this one now that they are fully rested. The Suns have more playoff experience, and that should come into play during their game against the Blazers.

Suns 112, Blazers 104