The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns clash in a meeting of two teams hoping to get back on the win column.

Catch the game tomorrow at 10:00 AM, Manila time.

AWAY: Golden State Warriors (12-6, 7-3 AWAY)

Projected starting five:

  • Stephen Curry
  • Brandin Podziemski
  • Andrew Wiggins
  • Draymond Green
  • Trayce Jackson-Davis

The Warriors are on a three-game skid. They are averaging 105.0 points per game on a rough 40.6% shooting, while giving up 112.3 points on the other end across that stretch. Their scoring is also down by a huge, -14.1 points from the 15 games prior.

As per usual, leading scorer Stephen Curry (22.4 PPG) is one to watch out for, especially since he may enter a scoring duel with the opposition’s high-scoring duo. Note, however, that he missed Thursday’s 105-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder day-to-day due to an injury, and he’ll be a game-time decision. He’s likely to take the floor, though.

The number two scorer role is a committee between Andrew Wiggins (17.6 PPG), Buddy Hield (15.6 PPG), and Jonathan Kuminga (13.6 PPG). Wiggins ought to eye for a bounce-back performance as he shot 4-of-16 in the OKC loss; Hield is surprisingly getting used less and less even after a scorching start, but we’ll see if he gets used more again soon; Kuminga had 19 points vs. OKC, but has been up-and-down all season.

Advertisement

HOME: Phoenix Suns (10-8, 6-4 HOME)

Projected starting five:

  • Tyus Jones
  • Devin Booker
  • Bradley Beal
  • Kevin Durant
  • Jusuf Nurkic 

The Suns started out hot, winning eight of their first nine games, but they’ve gone just 2-7 since due to Kevin Durant missing seven games because of an injury. Sunday will be his third game back and they split the two previous outings – won 127-100 over the Los Angeles Lakers and lost 127-117 to the Brooklyn Nets. It was strange.

Nevertheless, with the L to the supposedly tanking Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, we should see a Phoenix squad that’s hungry to redeem themselves. 

They played little-to-no defense, so much so that little-known Tyrese Martin dropped 30 points on them off-the-bench, so they better make that the priority in this matchup.

Durant (27.4 PPG) will lead the way alongside Devin Booker (24.6 PPG) and Bradley Beal (18.2 PPG). They need more contribution from the secondary guys since no one even reached double figures vs. BKN, although we can also argue that they didn’t involve them more.

PHX is scoring 113.2 PPG and allowing 114.4 on the other end this season.

PICKS:

Spread: Warriors (+4)

Over/Under: Over (231.5)

Advertisement