The Phoenix Suns (35-26, 6th in Western Conference) travel to take on the defending-champion Denver Nuggets (42-19, 3rd in Western Conference) tonight in the teams’ second meeting this season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Devin Booker, who is reportedly out for the next 6-9 days, will miss his second straight game with a right ankle sprain. Jusuf Nurkić is questionable with right calf tightness. The Nuggets are completely healthy.
The Suns enter tonight having gone 2-4 since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have won six in a row.
Phoenix lost its second-straight game Sunday night, falling 118-110 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Suns came back from all the way down 24 to take a six-point fourth quarter lead, but could not sustain it the rest of the game. Phoenix had 22 team turnovers that plagued them throughout the night. Jusuf Nurkić set a Suns’ franchise record and had the most rebounds in an NBA game since 2010 with 31 in the loss.
The Nuggets beat the Lakers 124-114 Saturday night in a game where LeBron James became the first player to eclipse 40,000 career points. Nikola Jokic (35 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists), Michael Porter Jr. (25 points on 10-for-10 shooting, 10 rebounds) and Jamal Murray (24 points, 11 assists) paced Denver to victory.
Denver won the only other meeting between these two teams this season 119-111 on Dec. 1. Both Booker and Bradley Beal did not play in this contest. Kevin Durant was held without a field goal (0-for-10) in the second half of this contest. The Suns held Nikola Jokic to only 21 points in the loss.
Since the teams’ first meeting, the Nuggets have the fifth-best record in the NBA (28-13), while the Suns are tied for ninth at 24-18.
Local Game Information
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. MST
Location: Ball Arena
TV Channel: TNT
Radio:Â Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, La Mejor 106.5 FM
Stream:Â Suns Live (click for more info)
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 5, 2024
Betting Odds
Line: DEN -8.5
O/U:Â 224.5
Injury Report
Phoenix Suns: Jusuf Nurkić (right calf tightness) QUESTIONABLE | Devin Booker (right ankle sprain) OUT | Josh Okogie (lower abdominal strain) OUT | Nassir Little (left knee inflammation) OUT | Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) OUT
Denver Nuggets:Â Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery) OUT
Starters (Projected)
Phoenix Suns: Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkić
Denver Nuggets:Â Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Five Keys to Game for Suns
- Defensive pressure
- Limiting turnovers
- Limiting Nikola Jokic
- Cleaning up the glass
- Paint defense
Prediction
Nuggets 122 – Suns 117
This might be the Suns’ toughest test of the year so far given how the Nuggets are playing as of late and Phoenix desperately needing a win but being without Devin Booker. The Suns did show some flashes last game of being fine without Booker and could again tonight, however the Nuggets are just playing too well to overcome. As I said before last game against the Thunder, the Suns have more questions than answers right now, while the Nuggets have a lot figured out. If Nurkić plays, he does decently well against Nikola Jokic, so that will be an intriguing matchup to watch.
I think the Suns can keep this one close, but like we have been seeing every game as of late, they will have some really strong stretches, but their poor stretches will outweigh the good and result in their third-straight loss.
Last Meeting (Dec. 1, 2023)
Team Matchup Notes
Here are some stats, notes and everything else to know about the Suns and Nuggets before their second matchup of the season (via Suns):
Each team’s stats (via Suns):
Preview: Injury report
Devin Booker out, Jusuf Nurkić questionable tomorrow against Nuggets
Preview: The Suns’ turnover problem
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
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
