Preview: Valley Suns at Rip City Remix

PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Rip City Remix look to solidify their playoff positioning and complete a back-to-back sweep when they host the struggling Valley Suns in a G League matchup on Saturday, March 7, at the Chiles Center.

The Remix (22-18) enter having split their last six games but remain in the hunt for a postseason berth. They will aim to bounce back from a 136-117 home loss to Iowa on Wednesday. In that defeat, guard Jaylen Martin scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, continuing a strong stretch where he has averaged 18.7 points over his last six contests.

Their opponent, the Valley Suns (12-28), own the league’s worst record and are mired in a 1-4 slump over their last five games. They are coming off a 121-112 loss to Salt Lake City on Monday. Despite the team’s struggles, center C.J. Huntley has been a consistent bright spot, posting a double-double in eight of his last nine games. He is averaging 18.7 points and 12.4 rebounds per game during that prolific span, including a 32-point, 14-rebound performance in the most recent loss.

This game is the second of a consecutive-night set between the teams at Chiles Center. The result of Friday night’s contest was not provided, but the recent history favors the Remix. Rip City won both previous meetings this season, 107-104 in Valley on Nov. 14 and 112-101 on Nov. 25.

The Suns will rely heavily on Huntley’s interior presence and the backcourt scoring of R.J. Nembhard, who dropped 32 points in Monday’s game. For the Remix, Martin’s scoring will be complemented by the backcourt duo of Caleb Love and Jayson Kent, who combined for 46 points in the loss to Iowa.

Following this contest, the Remix embark on a two-game road trip to San Diego next week. The Suns continue a difficult road stretch with a game at Wisconsin on Monday.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Chiles Center on the campus of the University of Portland.