Following one of their most unfortunate games of the season last night, the Phoenix Suns (35-25, 5th in Western Conference) are back at it tonight against a very good Oklahoma City Thunder (41-18, 2nd in Western Conference) team.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Suns lost 118-109 to the Houston Rockets yesterday in a game in which Devin Booker (ankle), Jusuf Nurkić (neck) and Royce O’Neale (ankle) were all injured. Bradley Beal was ejected in the third quarter in his first game back in five contests due to a left hamstring injury.
Booker is the only one listed as out for tonight, as the rest of these players are either probable or not listed. This loss snapped Phoenix’s nine-game home win streak.
The Thunder also had a win streak of six games snapped last time out on Thursday to the San Antonio Spurs, a 132-118 defeat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 in the loss, as Victor Wembanyama put on quite a show with 28 points including 5-of-7 on 3-pointers, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks.
The Thunder and Suns last met on Nov. 12, 2023, a game in which OKC won 111-99. Gilgeous-Alexander (35 points) and Jalen Williams (31) both eclipsed 31 points in a game where Phoenix was outscored by 18 points in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant led Phoenix with 28 points.
Booker did not play in this previous matchup as well. Since the teams’ first meeting, the Thunder are tied for the second-best record in the NBA (35-14), while the Suns are ninth at 31-19.
Local Game Information
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. MST
Location: Footprint Center
TV Channel: 3TV/AZ Family, ESPN
Radio:Â Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, La Mejor 106.5 FM
Stream:Â Suns Live (click for more info)
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 3, 2024
Betting Odds
Line: PHX -5.5
O/U:Â 233.5
Injury Report
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker (right ankle sprain) OUT | Jusuf Nurkić (neck spasm) PROBABLE | Bradley Beal (left hamstring injury management) PROBABLE | Nassir Little (left knee inflammation) OUT | Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) OUT
Oklahoma City Thunder:Â Jaylin Williams (left knee sprain) OUT
Starters (Projected)
Phoenix Suns: Bradley Beal, Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkić
Oklahoma City Thunder: Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgrem
Five Keys to Game for Suns
- Ball movement
- Getting Beal more involved
- Shot making
- Limiting turnovers
- Defense leading to offense
Prediction
Thunder 125 – Suns 114
Oklahoma CIty is going to be looking to bounce back off a tough loss with two full days of rest, while the banged-up Suns have to play the second night of a back to back after a difficult loss. The Suns have a lot more questions than answers right now for their team, while Oklahoma City has it figured out and has been consistently good. This game could be a shoot-out with both teams in the top-4 in field goal percentage this season, if the Suns can rebound from their recent struggles from the floor.
However, the youth of the Thunder should be able to take care of a short-handed Suns’ team playing their second game in two days. Gilgeous-Alexander will have another big night to lead Oklahoma City to victory.
Last Meeting (Nov. 12, 2023)
Team Matchup Notes
Here are some stats, notes and everything else to know about the Suns and Thunder before their second matchup of the season (via Suns):
Each team’s stats (via Suns):
Preview: Injury report
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
