It will be a battle of division foes when the Phoenix Suns (38-33) welcome the Sacramento Kings (24-45) to the US Airways Center. The game gets underway at 10:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 25 and will air on CSN-CA and FSN-AZ.
The Suns were victorious over the Mavericks 98-92 on Sunday. Marcus Morris fueled the Suns, recording 11 points and 11 rebounds to notch his third double-double this season. The Kings, meanwhile, are coming off a 109-86 win over the Wizards on Sunday. Rudy Gay shot 10-for-19 and led in scoring with 26 points.
The physical Kings offense seems poised to make an impact from the foul line. They rank first in the NBA at getting to the stripe (free throw attempt rate of 36.5), while Phoenix is among the league’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 26th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 30.0).
The Kings have won two out of three against the Suns this season, including a close 85-83 victory in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Isaiah Thomas was a top performer in the game with 26 points, three rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three three-pointers.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Suns enter the game with records of 38-33 Straight Up (SU) and 37-31-3 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games they are 7-3 ATS. The Suns come into the game with the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 104.2 points per game. The most recent ten game stretch for the Suns has gone great. Over that span, Phoenix’s opponents are averaging 93.5 points per game, well under their season average of 103.6.
On the other side, Sacramento has a SU record of 24-45 and an ATS record of 27-40-2. Most recently, Sacramento is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. Sacramento is the top foul-shooting team in the league, knocking down 1,578 shots from the line (22.9 per game).
Following the Kings’ latest win over Phoenix, their SU record against the Suns moves to 6-4 over the last 10 meetings. Additionally, the Kings lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers over the course of their latest 10 contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – PHX, ATS Winner – PHX
Notes
The Phoenix Suns score 104.2 points per game (ranked fifth), while the Sacramento Kings give up a whopping 105.1 (ranked 29th).
Sacramento ranks 10th in points allowed per road game (108.1 PPG), while Phoenix ranks sixth in points per home game with 104.0.
The Sacramento Kings won their last game by 23 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Phoenix Suns are 3-8. Sacramento is 5-11 in blowouts this season.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Kings are 14-6 on the season. When the Suns score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 6-18.
The Sacramento Kings have an underachieving 10-39 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Phoenix Suns are 32-15 when they hit the century mark.
Sacramento’s offense and Phoenix’s defense both rank 16th this season. Sacramento has an offensive rating of 101.8 and Phoenix has a defensive rating of 103.1.
Phoenix has an average field goal percentage of 45.6%. Sacramento is an underachieving 2-34 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Phoenix Suns rank lower for their field goal percentage (11th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (seventh), but the Sacramento Kings have a better FG% ranking (15th) than their EFF% ranking (22nd).
The Suns average 20.5 assists per game (ranked 25th), while the Kings rank last in the league with just 19.9.
Phoenix makes an average of 4.8 blocks per game (ranked 11th), while Sacramento makes 3.8 blocks per game (ranked 28th).
The Phoenix Suns rank 12th in offensive rebounding, while the Sacramento Kings rank eighth in defensive rebounding.
Phoenix averages 8.7 steals per game, ranking sixth in the league. Sacramento is a losing 12-35 when it gives up at least 8 steals.
