The Phoenix Suns (9-5, 2-4 Away) will try to slow down one of the league’s top scoring teams when they head to face the Utah Jazz (10-6, 5-1 Home) on Friday.Phoenix defeated the Golden State Warriors 130-119 at Footprint Center on Wednesday. Cameron Payne was the leading scorer with 29 points. Mikal Bridges chipped in with 23 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. The Suns are the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Utah dropped their third in a row on Tuesday at Vivint Arena, falling to the New York Knicks 118-111. Kelly Olynyk had 27 points and 11 rebounds in defeat to lead the team. The Jazz are the third seed in the Western Conference, one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers.
It’s the first meeting of the season between the teams.
Phoenix won three out of four games between the teams last season, including a 111-105 triumph in their last meeting at Vivint Arena on April 8. Devin Booker led the Suns with 33 points, while Chris Paul contributed 16 points, 16 assists, and six rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic had 21 points and seven rebounds in defeat.
The Suns have been led this season by Booker, who is averaging 26.6 points per game, best in the NBA. Meanwhile, Deandre Ayton is grabbing 7.7 rebounds per game, most in the NBA, and Paul is dishing 9.4 assists (3rd).
Lauri Markkanen has supplied much of the Jazz’s offense, averaging 21.3 points per game. He is the No. 1 scorer in the league. Markkanen also has collected 8.4 rebounds per game, most in the league. Mike Conley has tallied 8.1 assists per game.
With 116.6 points per game, the Jazz are one of the most explosive offenses in the league (3rd). The Suns have come up short in recent visits to Vivint Arena, losing six of the last 10.
In the last 10 games, Phoenix is 6-4 with an average margin of +4.8 (112.8-108.0). Utah has also a 6-4 record over the last 10, scoring 117.0 points per game on average while allowing 112.8 (+4.2 margin).
SUNS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Cameron Payne: 28.6 | 19.9 | +8.7
Chris Paul: 6.0 | 23.4 | -17.4
Points per game:
Cameron Payne: 19.4 | 13.3 | +6.2
Chris Paul: 2.0 | 9.5 | -7.5
Assists per game:
Chris Paul: 2.0 | 9.4 | -7.4
JAZZ HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Talen Horton-Tucker: 17.8 | 13.2 | +4.6
Points per game:
Malik Beasley: 16.0 | 12.3 | +3.7
Rebounds per game:
Walker Kessler: 7.0 | 5.4 | +1.6
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Over 226.5 (-115)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
