Warriors at Suns
The Phoenix Suns have won four consecutive games but extending that streak may be tough with the Golden State Warriors hustling into town for Sunday’s contest. The Suns have lost six straight games to the Warriors and haven’t defeated Golden State since midway through the 2011-12 campaign. The Warriors have lost three of their last five overall and allowed 102 or more points in each of their last seven defeats.
The backcourt matchups are intriguing with Golden State long-range marksmen Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson battling Phoenix speedsters Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. The Warriors had an astounding 56-32 rebounding edge over Dwight Howard’s Houston Rockets on Friday but still suffered a 116-112 loss. The Suns received a combined 57 points on 21-of-30 shooting from Dragic and Bledsoe while posting a 116-107 win over the Sacramento Kings. Phoenix’s 13-9 record represents its best start since beginning 15-7 in 2009-10.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (13-11): Three different players posted double-doubles against Houston but perhaps the most impressive performance came from a player who fell one board short of making it four. Journeyman forward Marreese Speights had season highs of 16 points and nine rebounds after playing just six total minutes over the previous two games, and he kept the Warriors in the contest with 12 fourth-quarter points. “That’s what everyone was supposed to see from me since Day One, but a lot of things didn’t go right,” Speights said after the contest. “I put that all on myself. I can’t really blame anybody else. My teammates and coach – they never gave up on me so I have to keep working for them.”
ABOUT THE SUNS (13-9): The decision to pair two point guards as a starting backcourt has been fruitful as Dragic and Bledsoe have meshed and often create matchup issues for opposing clubs. Dragic had 29 points against the Kings – two shy of his season-best output – while Bledsoe scored a career-high 28. “Every game is better,” Dragic said afterward. “I know what he’s going to do, he knows what I’m going to do. We’ve got a good feeling about each other and that’s really tough for opponents.” Both players are en route to career-high scoring averages – Bledsoe is at 19.2 while Dragic is averaging 19.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Golden State has won three straight games in Phoenix after losing the previous 13 meetings.
2. Curry has scored 20 or more points in nine consecutive contests and is averaging 29.3 points and nine assists during the stretch.
3. Suns F P.J. Tucker is averaging 12.5 points and 9.8 rebounds over the last four games, including twice scoring 18 points.