Can the Golden State Warriors exact some revenge on the Phoenix Suns?
The Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns will battle it out for the second time this week as both teams sit atop the Western Conference separated by one game. The Suns defeated the Warriors 104-96 just a few days ago in their highly anticipated matchup as two of the NBA’s most prolific scorers went head-to-head even though they didn’t provide much for their teams.
Devin Booker left the game after scoring only 10 points in 15 minutes after suffering a hamstring injury. Booker is expected to miss the next few games but there still remains a small possibility he will play tonight.
Booker was the least of the Warriors’ worries as the Suns had five players in double-figures. Deandre Ayton gave the Warriors defense the blues as he scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds leading the Suns to victory. Chris Paul also recorded a double-double as he scored 15 points to go along with 11 assists and shot an efficient 7-13 from the floor.
This Suns team, currently on an 18-game winning streak, will try and add to their franchise-record as they attempt to defeat the Warriors again tonight. It will be a tough task defeating the Warriors at the Chase Center where they have only one loss all season on their home floor.
The Suns accomplished what few teams have failed to do all season long as they held Steph Curry to 12 points on a very uncharacteristic 4-21 shooting. It’s hard to imagine Curry having another off night in back-to-back games so look for the Warriors to adjust their game plan accordingly.
Look for head coach Steve Kerr to implement more pick-and-rolls and multiple screens in an effort to get Curry open looks as the Suns found success defending Curry with physical, rangy defenders like Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder. The Suns’ defense forced 22 turnovers, made sure Curry wasn’t getting any easy looks while stopping the flow of the Warriors’ offense altogether.
The ball movement just wasn’t there, they had difficulty on contested shots, and found difficulty finishing at the rim. On the other end, the Suns’ offense flowed like a well-oiled machine as they moved well with and without the ball as Paul orchestrated the offense. The Warriors must find an answer to stop Ayton in the paint as the Warriors attempted to defend him with undersized players like Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr.
Jordan Poole led all scorers with 28 points while knocking down six 3-pointers as the Warriors will need him to have a similar offensive output tonight. Expect the Suns to come out with the same energy and defensive intensity as they try to continue their winning ways and extend their streak.
I’m predicting this game to be much closer than the previous one as this game should go down to the wire as Curry gets back on track as the Warriors win a close one on their home floor ending the Suns winning streak setting up what could be one of the season’s best games as these two teams meet again on Christmas Day.
Prediction: Warriors 122, Suns 119.