The Trail Blazers are playing for more than just win No. 48 when they face the sputtering Phoenix Suns on Monday night. A victory would clinch a playoff berth for Portland and move them a step closer to locking up the Northwest Division.

The Suns have dropped three straight games and need wins and some help from Oklahoma City and New Orleans if they are to jump back into the playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Blazers are seemingly lightyears away from a five-game losing skid that threatened to derail their season and have won three in a row.

The second victory in Portland's current three-game winning streak came Friday against the Suns in Phoenix behind a monster final five minutes from LaMarcus Aldridge.

Before the game tips off tonight at 7 p.m. here's a look around the web at the latest news and notes from both teams:

Damian Lillard will have a new look on his feet tonight when he dons a pair of fan design adidas D Lillard 1s:

The Blazers have not announced an "Item of the Game" for Monday, but it surely can't be as controversial as their, let's say, Golden State Warriors 'inspired' T-shirt from last week:

Oh? 👀 RT @trailblazers: Tomorrow's Item of the Game vs. the @Warriors. Available in-arena only for $15! pic.twitter.com/KX5sy7VSTD — Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 23, 2015

Readers at SFGate.com had some zingers to send the Blazers way after checking out the T-shirt that strongly resembles the Warriors logo

feistysfnative: It's fine. They can steal our logo. We just beat them by 14 points :) and clinched the West.

send879: ripoff city is more like it

SFfellow: Yes. They predicted correctly. RIP.

And now for some news that happens on hardwood and not in the gift shop:

Phoenix Suns blow 20-point lead, fall to Oklahoma City | Paul Coro, AZCentral.com

The 10th-place Suns fell four games behind Oklahoma City (42-32) with eight games remaining, but it is more like a five-game gap because Oklahoma City won the season series, 3-1, in case of a tie.

The Suns lost a third consecutive home game, blowing a 20-point lead by going from a 62-point first half to a 35-point second half. The Suns played like a fatigued team in the second half even though Oklahoma City was the team coming off a Saturday game at Utah. The Thunder still had its largest comeback of the season for the Suns' largest blown lead of the season.

Damian Lillard helps raise money for charity (photos + video) | Bruce Ely, The Oregonian/OregonLive.com

Lillard ended the event making 30 of 36 attempts with each successful 3-point attempt resulting in a $300 donation to the Humane Society of Cowlitz County and the Longview YMCA.

Lower Columbia College's Kaylea Knox of Rainier, Oregon was then given one attempt to double the donation. Knox hit the shot bringing the total donation to $18,000.

Blazers bench steps up when needed | Erik Gunderson, The Columbian

Two players at different points in their career have really stepped up off the perimeter to provide a punch: second year guard CJ McCollum and 10-year veteran Dorell Wright.

"It's easy for me to bring energy and stuff like that," Wright said. "I know how important it is getting ready for the playoffs."

Wright has been much more aggressive driving to the rim since Matthews went down. Throughout his tenure in Portland, he has been used almost exclusively as a spot-up shooter. But Wright is showing he can do a lot more than that.

Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight returns, tweaks ankle again | Paul Coro, AZCentral.com

Suns guard Brandon Knight had been waiting for that familiar burst before he could declare himself ready to play again.

Knight found it after Saturday's practice and showed it during Sunday's game, his first action since spraining his left ankle on March 9. With the Suns leading 77-74 late in the third quarter, Knight drove and went down under the same basket where he originally hurt it.

Knight gingerly walked off and did not return in the fourth quarter but he stayed on the bench.

-- Mike Richman

mrichman@oregonian.com | 503-221-8162 | @mikegrich