Tracking the Game
- TV: NBA TV nationally, FSAZ locally
Radio: Al McCoy and Tim Kempton on AZ Sports 620
Boxscore: NBA.com - Gamethread: You're already here. Duh.
Quick Breakdown
- Guard Play: Even though the bets player in this game plays on the wing, the guard play might be the most interesting part of this game and ultimately what decides the winner. Russell Westbrook is back. How much will he play? How rusty will he be? Regardless, the Westbrook-Reggie Jackson point guard duo will certainly test the DragonBlade backcourt. Dragic and Bledsoe will play both together and separately, and both guys will get their chance to match up with Westbrook. Thabo Sefolosha on Dragic should be interesting to see as well. Can Dragic break free of Sefolosha's defense to have a big game? Finally, both teams have young guards in Archie Goodwin and Jeremy Lamb that are still trying to figure it out at the NBA level.
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Wing Play: Durant versus Tucker is the headliner here. Tucker's aggressive style has gotten him into trouble against Durant in the past; has he learned from those previous match-ups? Tucker has also been one of the Sun' better scorers early in the season and he's going to have to make Durant work on both ends.
Big Men: For some reason Kendrick Perkins is still starting for the Thunder, so that's good for the Suns. Hopefully Plumlee's hot start continues. Channing Frye and Markieff Morris have to keep Serge Ibaka in check and hopefully draw him out of the paint an away from the rim, clearing the way fro DragonBlade. An again, intriguing rookie match-up of Alex Len and Steven Adams.