The Golden State Warriors (41-4) travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns (14-33) in what should be a fast-paced game. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and can be seen on GS2 and FAZ.
The Suns are hoping for a better outcome after their 115-93 loss to the Cavaliers in their last matchup. Devin Booker was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 120-90 win against the Spurs in their last game. Stephen Curry was the game’s top scorer, registering 37 points on 12-for-20 shooting.
Curry has been hot for the Warriors, averaging 34.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.6 steals, and 6.2 three-pointers over the past five games.
The Suns might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the league’s best defenses. The Warriors rank third in the NBA in defensive efficiency, while Phoenix ranks 27th in offensive efficiency. Moreover, the first-ranked offense of the Warriors (offensive efficiency of 113.1) will try to exploit the 29th-ranked defense of the Suns (defensive efficiency of 107.4).
The Warriors have emerged victorious in both games against the Suns this year, including a decisive 128-103 victory in their last matchup. In the victory, Klay Thompson led all scorers on the team with 43 points.
The Suns come into this game 14-39 Straight Up (SU) and 20-33 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Suns have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 122.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 100.5 points per game.
As for their opponent, the Warriors have a record of 29-20-2 ATS and 47-4 SU. Golden State has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. Offensively, they average 115.5 points per game, which is first in the league. The Warriors rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, leading the league with 575 made (12.0 per game). The Warriors have controlled the glass with an average of 46.8 rebounds per game, fourth in the league. The Warriors are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, leading the NBA at 1.92. The Warriors average 102.9 points allowed per game, but does worse whenever another team from the Pacific Division is on the schedule, bringing that points allowed average up to 113.2 against division foes. The Warriors have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .428.
In their previous meeting this season, Golden State beat Phoenix, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 7-3. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS
Notes
Ranked 19th, Phoenix scores 100.5 points per game. On the other hand, Golden State allows 102.9 and also ranks 19th (in points allowed).
Phoenix gives up 104.0 points at home this season. Topping the league in road scoring, Golden State puts up 116.4 points in away games.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Phoenix Suns have a 6-5 record. When they don’t reach the century mark, the Golden State Warriors have a losing record of 1-3.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Suns are just 8-28 this season. Golden State is a fantastic 40-1 when it reaches the century mark.
The Warriors have a defensive rating of 99.4 (ranked third), while the Suns have an offensive rating of 100.8 (ranked 27th).
Golden State beats Phoenix in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Warriors average 101.6 possessions and 1.131 points per possession, while the Suns average 100.6 possessions with 1.008 points per possession.
The Golden State Warriors have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with an EFF% of 56.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Phoenix Suns are winless with a 0-13 record.
The Golden State Warriors top the league in assist to turnover ratio this season with an A/TO of 1.92. The Phoenix Suns have an A/TO of 1.28 (ranked 29th).
The Golden State Warriors are one of the best rebounding teams in the league, earning 46.8 rebounds per game (ranked fourth). The Phoenix Suns rank 20th, rebounding 42.8 times each contest.
Phoenix is ranked 22nd in defensive rebounds, while Golden State ranks 13th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Suns force a turnover rate of 14.9%, ranked ninth in the NBA. When the Warriors turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 21-1 record.
