The Phoenix Suns hold the eighth and final playoff position in the loaded Western Conference, but the finally-healthy Oklahoma City Thunder are charging hard and can come within one-half game with a victory against the visiting Suns on Sunday. The Thunder started 3-12 due to injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but with both returning, the club has won seven of eight to get themselves back in the playoff picture. Phoenix has started to sink, losing four straight and six of eight.
Making it even more difficult for Phoenix to stay afloat is that this game begins a stretch of 12 of the next 16 games on the road. Phoenix, which was once 9-5, reached a new low Friday when the Detroit Pistons snapped a 13-game losing streak on the Suns' home floor. Detroit scored 60 points in the paint and Phoenix allowed the league's worst-shooting team (40.4) to connect for 47.6 percent.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City)
ABOUT THE SUNS (12-12): With the 105-103 loss to Detroit, Phoenix has dropped five games at home to teams with losing records. "We just have to get tougher," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek told The Arizona Republic. "It's just taking pride in guarding your guy, trying to get some stops. We gave them easy shots." The Suns will get a lift now that energizing point guard Isaiah Thomas has returned after missing eight games with an ankle injury.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (10-13): The Thunder blitzed Minnesota early and coasted to a 111-92 victory Friday behind 34 points, six rebounds and six assists from Russell Westbrook. The all-star guard has at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a career-high seven straight games. LeBron James is the only player in the NBA with longer streaks over the past five seasons (eight or more games seven times). "(Russell's) a walking triple-double," Durant told The Oklahoman. "Passes as good as any point guard, scores better than any point guard and rebounds better than any point guard and plays defense better than any point guard."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Shooting far fewer 3-pointers than in the past, Westbrook is setting career highs in points (25.6 points), field goal percentage (50 percent) and free-throw attempts per game (8.7) while playing a career-low 29.7 minutes a contest.
2. Thomas, averaging 15.1 points and four assists in 23.9 minutes off the bench, scored 10 points against Detroit on 3-of-11 shooting in 28 minutes.
3. Phoenix has won the last two games in the series, getting 24 and 41 points from Gerald Green in the games, but the Thunder won the previous 11 games.