Warriors at Suns
THE STORY: Home court has been the deciding factor in each of the first two meetings between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns. That bodes well for Wednesday's hosts as the Suns entertain the Warriors in the final game for both teams prior to the All-Star break. Phoenix opened this season's head-to-head series with a convincing 102-91 triumph on Jan. 2, while the Warriors responded with a 102-96 triumph on Feb. 13. The Suns come in on a two-game winning streak following impressive home victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards. The Warriors beat the Clippers 104-97 Tuesday to halt a three-game losing skid.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Fox Sports Arizona
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (12-19): Big games from Monta Ellis usually mean bad news for Golden State. Ellis and the Warriors bucked that trend Tuesday as the hot-shooting guard poured in a team-high 32 points in the narrow win. That improved Golden State to 2-6 in games in which Ellis scores 30 or more points. Ellis has been downright abysmal in two games against the Suns this season, averaging 17 points - more than five below his season average - while connecting on just 11 of 36 shots from the field.
ABOUT THE SUNS (14-17): Phoenix appears content to ride out the remainder of the season with aging point guard Steve Nash on its roster. That seems to suit Nash just fine, as he continues to post some of the most incredible numbers ever generated by a 38-year-old. Nash leads the NBA at 11 assists per game, and he's shooting a career-best 54.3 percent from the field. Despite his sensational statistics, Phoenix comes into the night four games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The winning team has averaged 113.5 points in the last 10 encounters.
2. Nash has recorded double-digit assist totals in 10 straight games.