Game Preview: Suns take on Wolves, look to extend win streak to 9 games

What: Phoenix Suns (38-9) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (24-24)

When: 7:00 p.m. AZ Time

Where: Footprint Center — Phoenix, Arizona

Watch: Bally Sports Arizona

Listen: 98.7 FM

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The Phoenix Suns are off to their best start in franchise history, continuing to steamroll through the league with a pristine 38-9 record.

They face a young, hungry Minnesota squad that will surely give them everything they can handle. The Timberwolves are fresh off a late night loss against the Golden State Warriors last night, so they’ll be dealing with the second of a back-to-back. This will be the third and final game of their 3-game road trip.

Phoenix on the other hand, will be down 4 key players including two starters in Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder along with two of their top bench pieces in Cam Payne and JaVale McGee.

Probable Starters

Phoenix

• Chris Paul
• Devin Booker
• Mikal Bridges
• Cam Johnson
• Bismack Biyombo

Minnesota

• D’Angelo Russell
• Anthony Edwards
• Jarred Vanderbilt
• Jaden McDaniels
• Karl Anthony-Towns

Injury Report

Phoenix

• Cameron Payne, PG — Out
• Deandre Ayton, C — Out
• JaVale McGee, C — Out
• Jae Crowder, PF — Out
• Dario Saric, F/C — Out
• Abdel Nader, F — Out

Minnesota

• Patrick Beverley, G — Out
• D’Angelo Russell, G — UNKNOWN — left game early vs. Warriors with a bruised shin

Note: There’s no telling if Minnesota adds anyone to their injury report or if any of their players will rest for the second of a back-to-back, so keep an eye out for that.

What to Watch For

Anthony Edwards vs. Devin Booker

This is the matchup right here. Two young star guards that are elite tough shot makers and put up points in a flurry. Edwards has dropped 92 points in his last three games on just 62 shots. Booker has averaged 32.7 points per game in his past 7 games on 46% shooting from the floor. It’s gonna be a fun one.

• Bismack attack

The mid-season addition of the year has continued to be a revelation for the Suns. Over his last 5 games, he’s averaged 15.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 BPG and 1.0 SPG in 28 minutes per contest. He’s been a +36 overall in those 5 games, and came up big on multiple occasions in the Utah back-to-back.

Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee are both out along with Jae Crowder, so the frontline will depth will be fairly shallow and they’ll need another stellar Bismack performance.

• Containing KAT

The short-handed Suns will have their hands full trying to slow down Timberwolves star Karl Anthony-Towns. Bismack Biyombo and Jalen Smith are really the only two that can match Towns from a size perspective on the active roster.

Devin Booker’s former Kentucky Wildcat teammate just scored 31 points on 22 shots in 36 minutes last night against the Warriors. Both Towns and Edwards

• The X-Factors:

Minnesota: D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt

Phoenix: Landry Shamet, Ish Wainright

Which DLo will show up? Will Vanderbilt continue to unleash his tenacious defense all over Phoenix? Can Landry Shamet make a shot? Will Ish Wainright make two threes again?

Find out next on the next episode of Phoenix Suns basketball.

Prediction

9 straight! Suns win a tough one, 113-107.