Deandre Ayton leads Trail Blazers to 127-108 victory over Suns in opener of 2-game set

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Deandre Ayton had 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting against his former team and the Portland Trail Blazers opened a two-game set against the Phoenix Suns with a 127-108 victory Saturday night.

The teams will meet again Monday night in Portland.

Jerami Grant added 20 points for Portland, and Toumani Camara had 18 points.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 37 points, and Kevin Durant had 22. The Suns were on the second night of a back-to-back after beating Golden State 130-105 on Friday.

After Portland took a 61-46 halftime lead, Booker was fouled on a 3-pointer on the first play after halftime, sparking a personal run of 15 straight Phoenix points. Durant's 3-pointer — the first non-Booker points in the quarter for Phoenix — made it 74-64, but that was as close as the Suns got in the period.

Suns: Phoenix center Nick Richards has made his presence felt during his first seven games since coming over in a trade from Charlotte. “He gives us a presence inside. A guy that can come and block shots, rebounds and handle the glass,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Trail Blazers: Second-year forward Toumani Camara was named to the NBA Rising Stars roster as an injury replacement Friday. “I was obviously disappointed that he wasn’t named initially,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said.“I just think, especially for coaches, we appreciate guys like him."

Shaedon Sharpe’s windmill dunk with 4:05 left in the third quarter put the Blazers up by 18, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Portland outscored Phoenix 66-32 in the paint.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) shoots as Phoenix Suns guard Tyus Jones (21) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer talks to players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups calls out to players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives to the basket as Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards, left, drives to the basket as Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton, right, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) dunks over Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — The big surprise of the World Cup slalom season scored his second win Sunday adding to his fast-rising reputation before the Winter Olympics.

Paco Rassat raced to the fastest time in the second run to rise from fourth place, and push two Norwegians down the podium steps after they had been fastest in the morning run.

United States-born Atle Lie McGrath was edged out by 0.18 seconds and first-run leader Henrik Kristoffersen dropped to third, trailing 0.20 behind Rassat.

The 27-year-old Frenchman had a career-best result of ninth in World Cup races before this Olympic season started.

Rassat now has two wins, a third place and two sixth places this season and shapes as a medal contender for the Milano Cortina Olympics. The men’s slalom is on Feb. 16 at Bormio.

“To win on this crazy hill at Adelboden, It’s something really unbelievable," Rassat told Swiss broadcaster RTS, describing his season as “a magnificent surprise.”

Rassat also took the lead in the seasonlong World Cup slalom standings, ahead of his France teammate Clément Noël, the defending Olympic champion. Noël tied for eighth Sunday.

McGrath was runner-up in the Adelboden slalom for the third time in four years.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said McGrath, whose father Felix skied for the U.S. at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. “I’m of course super happy, it’s such a challenging slope and mentally it’s one of the toughest places to perform because of this amazing crowd.”

Another packed finish-area crowd at Adelboden observed a minute’s silence before racing for the victims of the fatal fire in a bar in nearby Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day. Crans-Montana hosts men’s and women’s World Cup races in three weeks’ time.

The World Cup overall standings leader, four-time title holder Marco Odermatt, does not ski slalom and his huge lead was cut a little by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who placed fourth. Pinheiro Braathen was second to Odermatt in the classic giant slalom Saturday.

The men’s World Cup circuit stays in central Switzerland for the storied Lauberhorn meeting at Wengen, for a super-G on Friday, the classic downhill Saturday and a slalom Sunday.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Paco Rassat speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

France's Paco Rassat reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Finland's Eduard Hallberg speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen ahead of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)