Suns at 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are already getting plenty from newcomer Jimmy Butler, who has quickly become the go-to scorer at the end of games. Butler will try to lead his new team to a third straight win when the 76ers host the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
Butler missed a chance to win the game in regulation on Saturday but got another opportunity in overtime and drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Philadelphia a 122-119 win at Charlotte. "That's what the great players can do," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters of Butler. "That's what we spoke about with the inclusion of him, that he's got the ability ... to create his own looks, and that is a rare gift in the NBA, those players who can generally do that at a high rate, and he's one of them, and he's ours." The Suns are kicking off a four-game road trip and are searching for their first win away from home. Phoenix looked ready to turn things around with a 116-96 win over San Antonio on Wednesday but ended the two-game homestand with a 110-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Arizona (Phoenix), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE SUNS (3-12): Shooting guard Devin Booker admitted after Saturday's loss that he remains a step slow since suffering a hamstring injury last month and is putting more of an emphasis on making plays for others. Booker handed out 12 assists in each of the last two games and is trying to get his team to play with more consistency. "I think we were playing in spurts," Booker told reporters after Saturday's setback. "We went down and brought it back. They expanded the lead again, we brought it back, again. It's just about playing with that same consistency. I feel like we're playing off momentum right now. If we play with consistency, I think we'll be fine."
ABOUT THE 76ERS (11-7): Point guard Ben Simmons finished an assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday and already earned the respect of Butler. "He's so calm," Butler told reporters of Simmons. "He's always telling everybody the right things, positive things, and he scores the ball at will, and passes the ball on time, on target. He's huge. He's always going to be that. He's a key piece of this thing." The 23 points marked a season-high for Simmons, who averages 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers C Joel Embiid recorded a double-double in 16 of the first 18 games.
2. Suns SF Trevor Ariza (personal) missed the last two games and is questionable for Monday.
3. The visiting team took the two meetings last season, with Phoenix earning a 115-101 victory at Philadelphia on Dec. 4.