This should be an intense battle. The Sacramento Kings are barely hanging on at the eighth seed, while the Phoenix Suns are eager to climb back into No. 6. The season series is tied at 2-2.

Catch the game tomorrow at 10:30 AM, Manila time.

AWAY: Phoenix Suns (47-33,22-17 AWAY)

Projected starting five:

  • Devin Booker
  • Bradley Beal
  • Grayson Allen
  • Kevin Durant
  • Jusuf Nurkic

The seventh-seeded Suns are trailing the 48-32 New Orleans Pelicans for the sixth spot. They have to win this game vs. the Kings to keep the hope of moving up alive. It’s tough as the Pels need to lose their game too.

In four meetings with Sacramento, Phoenix has averaged 115.0 points per game in the season series. The usual suspects are at the top with Kevin Durant putting up 27.7 points on 57.4% shooting, and Devin Booker right behind him at 23.3 points and 8.5 assists. 

Sharpshooters Grayson Allen (19.7 PPG) and Eric Gordon (13.8 PPG), are also contributing well in the head-to-head, particularly the former, who’s making 56.3% of his threes on 8.3 attempts.

Big man Jusuf Nurkic will have his work cut out for him in a matchup against Domantas Sabonis. He has the body and size, but he hasn’t done a good enough job recently. We’ll see if he can finally figure his versatile counterpart out.

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HOME: Sacramento Kings (45-35, 23-16 HOME)

Projected starting five:

  • De’Aaron Fox
  • Keon Ellis
  • Harrison Barnes
  • Keegan Murray
  • Domantas Sabonis

The Kings have dropped four of their last five games, and are now tied with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers record-wise. They still hold the 8th seed, but they’re hanging by a very loose thread.

Sactown is +4 in its season series with Phoenix as the team is at 119.0 points per game. De’Aaron Fox leads the way with superb numbers across four games vs. PHX this season: 32.5 points, 6.5 assists, 2.3 steals, and 48.6% shooting from downtown on 8.8 attempts. Domantas Sabonis is a statsheet-stuffer as per usual as he is averaging a triple-double on the Suns, with 24.5 points, 14.5 boards, and 10.0 dimes, while topping it off with 69.5 FG%.

With Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter both sidelined, Keegan Murray (14.5 PPG vs. PHX), Harrison Barnes (11.5 PPG vs. PHX), Sasha Vezenkov (10.3 PPG vs. PHX), and Keon Ellis are heading the secondary weapons.

PICKS:

Spread: Suns (-5)

Over/Under: Under (225)

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