Game Preview: Suns look for 8th straight win against the Rockets

What: Phoenix Suns (8-3) @ Houston Rockets (1-11)

When: 5:00 PM AZ Time

Where: Toyota Center (Houston, TX)

Watch: Bally Sports AZ

Listen: 98.7 FM

Line: Suns -8.5

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The Phoenix Suns have the longest active winning streak in the NBA, and they’ll look to extend it against one of the worst teams in the NBA.

This will be Round 2 in the Phoenix-Houston battle, after a 123-111 victory in game one in Phoenix where the Suns had to fight off a feisty Houston squad.

Phoenix is coming off their most complete win of the season against Memphis, so hopefully, they carry that focus and momentum over into a game that has some “letdown” potential against a bad opponent on the road.

Deandre Ayton will be out again, so it’s imperative for JaVale McGee and Frank Kaminsky to continue their stellar play against a solid Rockets frontcourt led by Wood, Theis, and Sengun.

The Suns’ dynamic backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker will be the other major key towards the game, because if they are locked in as they were throughout the Memphis game then Houston will be in an uphill battle the entire way. It’s easy to call this a “trap game”, but hopefully they learned their lesson in the first meeting when Houston was toe to toe with them until a big fourth quarter.

Chris Paul has certainly been in “point god” early on this season.

Starting Lineups

Suns

Chris Paul

Devin Booker

Mikal Bridges

Jae Crowder

JaVale McGee

Rockets

Kevin Porter Jr.

Jalen Green

Jae’Sean Tate

Christian Wood

Daniel Theis

Injury Report

Suns

Deandre Ayton— OUT

Abdel Nader — Questionable

Rockets

N/A

Rockets Report

Houston has lost 10 in a row, which is deflating for such a young team. It also takes the pressure off of them in a game where they’d surely love to play spoiler and upset the Suns and break their 7-game win streak.

Christian Wood is 16.9 points per game on 45% shooting from the field this season to go with his 11.8 boards which is tied with Giannis for fourth-most in the association. Keeping him off the offensive glass should be a major focus for the Suns' defense.

Kevin Porter Jr. has played well of late, posting identical 18-5-5 stat lines in consecutive games for the Rockets. Keeping him and ambitious rookie Jalen Green at check will be the key to avoiding an upset.

It should be a competitive game, as Houston is a very talented young team with a lot of upside, but given the fact they don’t know how to close games out like Phoenix, this should be one the Suns put away.

Prediction

Suns win 120-108 after withstanding a couple of Houston runs.