Two Western Conference powerhouses collide as the Phoenix Suns host the defending champions Golden State Warriors tomorrow, 10:00 AM on NBA TV Philippines via Smart GigaPlay.
What’s up with the Suns?
The Suns have won two of their first three games, fresh off a 112-95 victory over potential playoff contender LA Clippers. Devin Booker fired 35 points while Chris Paul recorded his 11,000th assist in the win. The future Hall of Famer became the third player in league history to achieve the feat while also becoming the first to have at least 20,000 points and 11,000 assists.
The Suns, who went to the NBA Finals two seasons ago, still have all the tools to come out of the West. After falling short in the conference semifinals last season, they’re determined to bounce back.
Booker is scoring 32.0 points on 53.1 percent shooting, alongside 3.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists through his first three games. He’s on pace to have another big year and his overall play this season will be one of the barometers of the Suns’ success this year.
What’s up with the Warriors?
Like the Suns, the Warriors also have a 2-1 record. Against the Sacramento Kings, the defending champs used an 89-point first half and had enough firepower in the latter quarters to carve out a 130-125 win.
The Warriors were burning hot in the first half, including dropping a franchise record 50-point second quarter. But things eventually cooled off. From a 26-point advantage, it was sliced to four with roughly a minute left. The huge margin served as enough cushion for the Warriors to hold on.
Golden State continues to impress at the start of the new season thanks mostly to its superstar, Stephen Curry. Last year’s Finals MVP has scored at least 30 points in each of the first three games. His shooting touch hasn’t wavered at all as he’s knocking down 5.3 shots from deep with a 44.4 percent clip.
Storyline to watch out for
It’ll be interesting to see where these two teams end up in the standings. Last season, the Suns won 64 games as the top seed while the Warriors placed third with a 53-29 record.
They were headed for a collision course in the Western Conference Finals last year but the Suns couldn’t get past the Dallas Mavericks. The Warriors eventually dispatched Luka Doncic and the Mavs in just five games before beating the Boston Celtics in the championship round.
The Warriors, of course, want another ring added to their collection. On the other hand, the Suns want to have their own championship banner. This early matchup, as well as their future regular-season encounters, will be a good gauge of whether or not they’ll meet each other in the playoffs.
