Game Preview: Suns look to sweep season series vs Kings

Who: Phoenix Suns (34-26) vs. San Antonio Spurs (14-48)

When: 9:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Golden 1 Center — Sacramento, California

Watch: Peacock, NBC, Arizona’s Family

Listen: KMVP 98.7

The Phoenix Suns get their superstar back in a get-right game against the Sacramento Kings. Booker, who missed the last five games with a right hip strain, gets to ease his way back into the lineup against the worst team in the Western Conference. The Suns lead the season series against the Kings 3-0 and look to win a ‘must-win’ or ‘bye’ game to keep pace in the Western Conference. The Kings are an abysmal 2-18 in their last 20 games, but have won two of their last four, including wins over Memphis and Dallas. The Kings are so bad that they are not even tanking correctly, but they are deep in the tank, which means a loss for the Suns would be a surprise at the very least.

The Suns had their own turbulence over February, but are coming off one of the most important wins of the season against the Lakers. Jalen Green and Mark Williams’ struggles, combined with the injuries to Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Goodwin, and Grayson Allen, caused the Suns to sputter but not careen off a cliff entirely, thanks to the play of the Suns’ young core of players that stepped up.

Probable Starters

Injury Report

Suns

• Dillon Brooks — OUT (Left Hand Fracture)
• Jordan Goodwin — OUT (Left Calf Strain)
• Khaman Maluach — QUESTIONABLE (Right Thumb Sprain)

Kings

• Dylan Cardwell — OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
• De’Andre Hunter — OUT (Left Eye Retinal Repair)
• Zach LaVine — OUT (Left 5th Finger Tendon Repair)
• Keegan Murray — OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
• Domantas Sabonis — OUT (Left Knee Meniscus Repair)
• Isaiah Stevens — OUT (G-League Two-Way)

What to Watch For

This game against the Kings is the perfect opportunity to put February in the rearview mirror and get back on the right track. Jalen Green and Mark Williams will have opportunities to build up their confidence for the final six weeks of the season, while the rookies and second-year players like Ryan Dunn and Rasheer Fleming can continue to show more signs of growth.

Look for Jalen Green to try to get himself back on track with a good performance against the Kings. With Devin Booker back in the lineup, he will not have the primary duties of being the offensive hub on offense. With Booker’s gravity and the shooting from O’Neale, Allen, and Gillespie, he should have no problem scoring against the 29th-best defensive team in the NBA. If the struggles for Green continue against the Kings, then the Suns will need to have the hard conversations about what his role will look like for the rest of the season…

As for how the Suns will attack, the Kings’ front line is not formidable defensively at all. Look for the Suns to attack the Kings inside early, dominate in the paint with drives, cuts, and dump-offs in the first quarter. If the Kings adjust, then the Suns will start spraying it out to their 3-point shooters. At least one of O’Neale, Gillespie, or Allen should have an opportunity for a big night.

Key to a Suns Win

Show up. The Suns have to show up focused defensively and rebound the ball well on both ends. Outside of a Derozan or Westbrook heater, the Suns should win this game decisively because they are the better team. The offense should flow easily, and everyone should get theirs in this game. If the Suns outrebound the Kings, they should have no problems in Sacramento and get an easy win.

Prediction

The Suns share the wealth in this late-night affair, with seven Suns scoring double digits.

Suns 132, Kings 112