Trent Reinsmith
- Date & Location: Saturday, December 25 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
- Game Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ABC
The top two teams in the NBA right now are the same teams who were at the top of the league in late November and early December. Those teams are the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. These clubs met on November 1 and December 3 for the first of four times this season. The Suns won at home in November by a score of 104-96. The Warriors took their home game in December 118-96. Christmas day marks the third meeting of the season for the Suns and Warriors. The game takes place in Phoenix.
Before we break down the Suns vs. Warriors matchup, check out the best NBA betting sites and our betting guide for the 2022 NBA Finals.
Suns vs. Warriors Odds
Suns vs. Warriors
The Phoenix Suns are currently the toast of the NBA. The team opened the 2021-22 NBA season with a 1-3 record and then proceeded to run off 18 straight wins. That unbeaten stretch began on October 30 and ended on December 3. The team who beat the Suns? Why, the Golden State Warriors, who were 18-3 at the time. That third loss on the Warriors record? You guessed it, came at the hands of the Suns on November 30.
Both teams have picked up a few more losses since their first meetings. Phoenix is 24-5 and Golden State is 24-6, but they are still the top two teams in the league.
Golden State Analysis
Golden State is being led by Steph Curry, who has been near the top of the scoring race for most of the season. Curry is currently tied for third in points per game with 27. He leads the NBA in three pointers made per game at 5.4 and attempted per game at 13.5. As a team, the Warriors are the fifth highest-scoring club in the NBA with an average of 111.4 points per game. Golden State averages 106.1 points per game on the road, which is near the middle of the pack.
Defensively, Golden State’s 102.8 road points allowed is the second lowest in the NBA.
History was made in NYC.
Dive into the stats & facts behind 3⃣0⃣'s NBA record with By the Numbers, presented by @googlecloud pic.twitter.com/VosKO6PSyx
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 19, 2021
Phoenix Analysis
Devin Booker is the leading scorer for the Suns with an average of 22.9 points per game. Booker came back to the Suns lineup on Sunday after missing seven games to nurse a leg injury, he played 26 minutes in that game and had 16 points. The team went 5-2 with Booker on the sidelines. The Suns are the third highest scoring team in the NBA right now with an average of 111.9 points per game. Phoenix does score more at home than on the road. The Suns put up an average of 113.5 points at the Footprint Center.
When looking at scoring defense, Phoenix holds its opponents to an average of 102.8 points at home, which is the fifth lowest total in the league.
MyTopSportsbook’s Picks
If you missed the first two meetings of these two stellar teams, you’re going to want to catch game three, because the fourth and final matchup of the regular season between these two clubs doesn’t take place until March 30.
One thing to watch ahead of this game is Chris Paul. The Suns’ star injured his hand in Sunday’s win over the Hornets, but the team does not expect him to miss any time. If Paul struggles ahead of Saturday’s matchup against Golden State, the team could hold him out to make sure his hand does not have any lingering issues.
Suns basketball: Unselfish pic.twitter.com/d8qTdaY7qE
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 20, 2021
The Warriors are without Klay Thompson, but he hasn’t played at all this season.
I expect this game to be closely contested, but I’m going to have to go with the home team here. Phoenix is 14-2 at home and both those losses came in the first four games of the 2021-22 NBA season. The Suns have not lost at Footprint Center since October 27. I don’t expect this game to be their third home defeat.
Pick Phoenix to win.
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