The Sacramento Kings (32-48) travel to Phoenix to play the Suns (22-58) in a game that will likely be up tempo. The game gets underway at 10:00 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 11 and will air on NBA, FA+ and CSA.
The Suns had no trouble getting past the Pelicans 121-100 on Saturday. Archie Goodwin led all scorers on the team with 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Kings, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-112 win over the Thunder on Saturday. Darren Collison led the team in scoring with 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting.
Over the last five games, Tyson Chandler has really been playing well for the Suns. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 block. The Kings also have their own player combo that has been hot in that same time frame. Collison has averaged 21.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 three-pointers, while Rudy Gay has put up 20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.0 block, and 0.8 three-pointers.
There should be plenty of transition action in this game. The Suns rank fourth in the league in possessions per game (100.7), while the Kings are first (102.4).
The Kings have won two out of three against the Suns this season, including a 116-94 blowout in their last matchup. DeMarcus Cousins put up a double-double in the victory with 29 points and 11 rebounds.
The Suns have gone 22-58 Straight Up (SU) and 35-45 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Phoenix has averaged 110.5 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 100.7.
On the other side, the Kings head into the game with records of 37-41-2 ATS and 32-48 SU. Somehow Sacramento managed to go 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games, while having an unimpressive record of 3-7 SU during the same amount of time. Offensively, they average 106.9 points per game, which is good for third in the league. The Kings are an unselfish team with an average of 24.5 assists per game, ranking fourth in the NBA. Switching gears to Sacramento’s defense, the Kings are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 8.9 steals per game. One advantage for the Kings could be Phoenix’s league-high fouls per game average of 23.1.
Sacramento beat Phoenix in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 6-4. Furthermore, the Kings lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Sac
Notes
Phoenix ranks 22nd in points per game with 100.7, while Sacramento ranks 30th in points allowed with an average of 109.1 given up.
Sacramento ranks fourth in points allowed per road game (109.5 PPG), while Phoenix ranks 19th in points per home game with 102.9.
The Phoenix Suns won their last game by 21 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Sacramento Kings are 5-5. Phoenix is 6-18 in blowouts this season.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Phoenix Suns have an 8-7 record. When they don’t reach the century mark, the Sacramento Kings have a subpar record of 4-19.
Phoenix is an abysmal 14-51 when it gives up 100 or more points. Sacramento has a 28-29 record when it reaches the century mark.
The Suns have an offensive rating of 100.0 (ranked 28th). The Kings rank 22nd for their defensive rating of 106.8.
Sacramento beats Phoenix in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Kings average 102.4 possessions and 1.044 points per possession, while the Suns average 100.7 possessions with 1.000 points per possession.
The Sacramento Kings have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with an EFF% of 51.2%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Phoenix Suns have an underachieving 5-44 record.
On average, the Sacramento Kings make 24.5 assists per game and the Phoenix Suns make 20.7. Sacramento is ranked fourth, while Phoenix is ranked 25th.
The Phoenix Suns average 3.8 blocks per game for a rank of 28th. The Sacramento Kings rank higher (20th), earning 4.4 blocks each contest.
The Phoenix Suns rank sixth in offensive rebounding, while the Sacramento Kings rank 14th in defensive rebounding.
The Sacramento Kings average 8.9 steals per game (ranked fifth). The Phoenix Suns have an abysmal 15-46 record when they allow at least 8 steals.
