The Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz duke it out at the Delta Center on Sunday night.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have been in decent shape with four wins in their past six games and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after sneaking past the Jazz in a 131-128 road win on Friday. Kevin Durant led the team with 38 points, nine rebounds and nine assists on 15 of 22 shooting, Devin Booker added 24 points with 15 assists while Jusuf Nurkic chipped in with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Suns shot 52 percent from the field and 18 of 33 from the 3-point line as they wasted an early 14-point lead. However, they pulled ahead in the contest in the third quarter and never looked back with Booker and Durant delivering down the stretch.
Phoenix Suns Team Facts
- The Suns have won each of their last 13 games as road favorites.
- The Suns have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games following a win.
- Eight of the Suns’ last nine games as favorites have gone OVER the total points line.
Utah Jazz
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz were on a two-game win streak before they got stopped in their tracks by the Suns on Friday. Jordan Clarkson made five 3-pointers to finish with 37 points on 14 of 26 shooting, Lauri Markkanen added 21 points while John Collins and Keyonte George scored 15 points each. As a team, the Jazz shot 50 percent from the field and 16 of 36 from the 3-point line which was enough to erase an early 14-point deficit and hang with the Suns, until the Suns pulled away behind some clutch shooting from their stars.
Utah Jazz Team Facts
- The Jazz have lost seven of their last eight games against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in each of their last four home games against Western Conference opponents.
- Each of the Jazz’s last six games against Pacific Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Peter’s Pick
The Suns are going to be shorthanded once again with Bradley Beal out and Yuta Watanabe listed as questionable, while the Jazz will again be missing Walker Kessler. The Suns are starting to heat up again and it’s no surprise that it’s coincided with the return of Booker into the starting lineup. The Jazz will be out for revenge after coming up short on Friday, but they were only close because of a big game from Clarkson and I don’t think that will happen two games in a row. I expect the Suns to get the win once again behind another big game from Durant.