The San Antonio Spurs (45-8) try to continue their six-game winning streak when they take on the faltering Phoenix Suns (14-40) at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The game gets underway at 5:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21 and can be seen on FAZ and FSW.
The Suns lost to the Warriors 112-104 in their last game. Tyson Chandler put in a solid effort despite the loss for Phoenix, recording 13 points and 10 rebounds to earn his ninth double-double of the season. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 98-96 win over the Magic in their last outing. Kawhi Leonard led the game in scoring by registering 29 points on 12-for-19 shooting.
LaMarcus Aldridge has upped his play over the last five games for the Spurs, averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks.
The Suns might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the league’s best defenses. The Spurs rank first in the NBA in defensive efficiency, while Phoenix ranks 27th in offensive efficiency. Moreover, the third-ranked offense of the Spurs (offensive efficiency of 109.9) will try to exploit the 29th-ranked defense of the Suns (defensive efficiency of 107.8).
The Spurs have won all three games against the Suns this season, including a 117-89 blowout in their last matchup. Devin Booker scored a game-high with 24 points.
The Suns come into this game 14-41 Straight Up (SU) and 21-34 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 14-41 SU and 21-34 ATS against the Western Conference. Phoenix has averaged 109.4 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 100.5.
Across the court, San Antonio has a SU record of 46-9 and an ATS record of 34-21. Most recently, San Antonio is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. San Antonio has been struggling as of late. In their most recent 10 games, San Antonio’s scoring has dropped to 95.9 PPG, compared to 100.5 for the duration of the season. The Spurs are shooting lights out so far, with an NBA-best .491 field-goal percentage. The Spurs are a top-five team in the league at finding the open man with an average of 25.2 assists per game. The Spurs are the top defensive team in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 92.4 points allowed per game. Teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Spurs, who are the third-best team in the league in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .431. The Spurs have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 35.2 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league. One advantage for the Spurs could be Phoenix’s high fouls per game average of 23.1.
In their previous meeting this season, San Antonio beat Phoenix, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 8-2. Additionally, the Spurs lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-3-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
“Phoenix is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games “.
“Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix’s last 9 games “.
“Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Phoenix is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Antonio”.
“Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix’s last 7 games when playing San Antonio”.
“Phoenix is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
“Phoenix is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
“The total has gone OVER in 10 of Phoenix’s last 15 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix’s last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix”.
Phoenix averages 102.8 points per home game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed on the road, giving up just 94.4 points per game.
The San Antonio Spurs won their last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the Phoenix Suns are 3-4. San Antonio is 3-3 in close games this season.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Spurs are 39-3 on the season. When the Suns score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 1-25.
The San Antonio Spurs have a 6-5 record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Phoenix Suns have a 13-15 record when they reach the century mark.
Ranked third, the Spurs have an offensive rating of 109.9. The Suns, on the other hand, rank 29th with a defensive rating of 107.8.
San Antonio is among the top-ranked teams based on its average field goal percentage of 49.1% (ranked first). Phoenix has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-18).
The Phoenix Suns average 24.0 three point attempts per game, while the San Antonio Spurs attempt 18.0 per game. When attempting 25 or more three pointers in a game, Phoenix is an abysmal 7-22, while San Antonio is an even 1-1.
San Antonio ranks at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.96. Phoenix ranks 29th with an A/TO of 1.27.
The Phoenix Suns rebound 43.0 times per game and are ranked 18th. Ranked ninth, the San Antonio Spurs rebound 44.6 times per game.
The San Antonio Spurs rank 24th in offensive rebounding, while the Phoenix Suns rank 22nd in defensive rebounding.
San Antonio is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 14.9% (ranked ninth). Phoenix has a subpar record of 9-26 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 14.9% or greater.
