There’s no better way for NBA fans to kick off December than to watch a showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns in what could be a preview of the 2022 NBA Western Conference Finals. Who wins this must-watch match?
Catch this game live on Wednesday, December 1, at 11 AM, Manila time.
Away: Golden State Warriors (18-2/7-1 on the road)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Stephen Curry
- SG: Jordan Poole
- SF: Andrew Wiggins
- PF: Draymond Green
- C: Kevon Looney
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Warriors are playing great. Golden State has been incredible this season. Despite Phoenix’s insane win streak, the Warriors still have a better record than the Suns. Speaking of which, the Warriors are on a nice roll themselves, having gone undefeated in their last seven games — a stretch that includes their 105-90 thumping of the Los Angeles Clippers on the road last Monday. Stephen Curry, who’s playing like he’s on a cheat code, dropped 33 points on Paul George and company, while budget-version Splash Brother Jordan Poole had 17 points.
He’s not Klay Thompson, but Poole has become a dependable offensive option who can help stretch the floor for the Warriors. So far this season, Golden State is putting up 114.0 points per game on 47.9 FG%. On the other end of the floor is where another of Golden State’s true, albeit oft-overlooked strength lies. The Warriors, who are 4-0 ATS in their last four outings as an underdog, are actually no. 1 in the NBA in scoring defense with just 100.4 points allowed per game while also holding opponents to just 41.9 FG% — the best in the league, as well.
Home: Phoenix Suns (17-3/8-2 at home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Chris Paul
- SG: Devin Booker
- SF: Mikal Bridges
- PF: Jae Crowder
- C: Deandre Ayton
The longer the Suns extend their current win streak, the prouder the Sacramento Kings are of the fact that they are the last team to beat Chris Paul and company. After the Suns went 1-3 in their first four games, they have stitched together 16 wins in a row, including their impressive 113-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. That was in a second game of a back-to-back set on the road for Phoenix, but neither fatigue nor a hostile basketball environment was going to stop the Suns from collecting another win. Like the Warriors, a fantastic two-way play is driving the Suns’ success.
Phoenix is third in the NBA with 112.6 points per game and eighth with only 105.0 points surrendered per contest. Against the Nets, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges showed those qualities, with Booker dropping 30 points and Bridges recording seven steals. Both Phoenix and Golden State are great in forcing turnovers and scoring points off those errors, but one thing they differ in is that the Suns are more careful with the leather than the Warriors. The Suns — 5-2 ATS in their last seven at home — are seventh in turnover percentage, while the Warriors are 27th overall.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: It just feels better betting on the Warriors as the underdog, but it’s the uncomfortable pick that wins sometimes, which is Phoenix covering (-2.5).
Over/Under: Excellent shooters and fast offenses are among the features of this game. The Over (219.0) looks good.
