 Phoenix Suns |
|
 Sacramento Kings |
| 21-9 | 11-17 | |
| 7:00 PM Mountain / 9:00 PM Eastern | ||
| TV: My45 HD, NBA League Pass | ||
| Probable starters: | ||
| Steve Nash | PG | Beno Udrih |
| Raja Bell | SG | John Salmons |
| Grant Hill | SF | Mikki Moore |
| Shawn Marion | PF | Ron Artest |
| Amare Stoudemire | C | Brad Miller |
Way too much California lately. The Suns will be facing their fourth straight game against a California-based team. In the past week, we've seen the Lakers once, the Clippers twice, and now the Kings. The last time the Suns played the Kings at Arco Arena it was a nail-biting affair in November as the Suns hung on to win by two. The Suns played the Kings again the very next night, this time at home, and the game was a blowout featuring one of the best offensive performances by the Suns this year. But the difference wasn't the venue, and in all honesty, probably wasn't the Suns' enormous amount of energy in that second game either. It was the absence of Ron Artest, whose 33 points and 12 rebounds in the first game was sorely missed by the Kings in the second. Which brings us to tonight: Artest missed Friday's game with a chipped bone in his right elbow. According to the preview on Sactown Royalty, he plans to play tonight, but his coach is not so sure. Artest isn't the only injured King. Kevin Martin will miss the game, as will Mike Bibby who has been out all season.
The Suns will be looking to win their third straight, and continue taking advantage of a soft spot on the schedule. This is the last game of the year for the Suns, so let's home for a nice, fat "W" to wrap up 2007. Live blogging will start at tipoff in the comments to this post. For more about the game from a Kings fan's perspective, visit Sactown Royalty.
Here is Steve Nash vs. the Kings, from the aforementioned second game of the back-to-back in November.