The Phoenix Suns welcome the Charlotte Hornets to Mortgage Matchup Center on Thursday, November 12, at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Suns are 4-6 and 11th in the Western Conference, while the Hornets are 4-7 and ninth in the East. Both teams are coming off double-digit wins and have a chance to build some momentum after uneven starts.
Phoenix beat the Los Angeles Clippers 133-110 on Tuesday, making a season-high 22 three-pointers. Charlotte snapped a six-game losing streak with a 124-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Grayson Allen scored 27 points, and Naz Reid added 25 points and 13 rebounds. The Hornets won that game without Brandon Miller, but they’ll have to find enough scoring without him again in Phoenix.
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Injury Report
Suns
Mark Williams: Out (Shoulder)
Hornets
Grant Williams: Probable (Hamstring)
Moussa Diabate: Probable (Quad)
Brandon Miller: Out (Groin)
Kon Knueppel: Out (Hamstring)
Dennis Schroder: Out (Hamstring)
Why The Suns Have The Advantage?
Phoenix has the better offense and more available scoring options. The Suns rank 13th in offensive rating at 114.6, seventh in field-goal percentage at 47.2%, and sixth in three-point percentage at 37.6%. They also commit just 14.5 turnovers per game, the seventh-fewest in the league. Their defense remains a problem, ranking 28th at 119.3 points allowed per 100 possessions, but Charlotte’s injuries make it harder for the Hornets to exploit that weakness.
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Devin Booker is averaging 25.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 35.7% from three. Charlotte has to decide how much help to send when Booker comes off a screen. If the bigs stay back to protect the paint, Booker can get to his pull-up. If a wing helps early, he can find a shooter before the defense recovers. Phoenix showed against the Clippers what can happen when those passes reach shooters in rhythm.
Miles Bridges is averaging 15.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 45.2% shooting. Against his former team, his rebounding may matter as much as his scoring with Williams out.
Dillon Brooks adds 14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 42.2% from deep. If Brooks keeps making those shots, Charlotte will have a tougher time crowding Booker without giving something up on the perimeter.
Why The Hornets Have The Advantage?
Charlotte’s best chance is on the offensive glass. The Hornets lead the league with 15.0 offensive rebounds per game, and Phoenix is without its starting center. That gives Charlotte a way to generate points even when its first shot misses. It also helps explain how the Hornets can stay competitive despite ranking last in offensive rating at 101.9 and scoring just 98.8 points per game. Their 113.7 defensive rating ranks 19th, ahead of Phoenix’s.
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Miller leads Charlotte with 20.6 points per game, but his absence leaves more of the offensive workload to Reid and Allen. Reid is averaging 17.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 36.5% from three. His range gives Charlotte a way to pull a Phoenix big away from the basket, creating space for a teammate to cut or crash the glass. The Suns also have to account for him inside after he grabbed 13 rebounds against Cleveland.
Allen is averaging 15.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 46.9% from three. He hit six triples against Cleveland, and his movement away from the ball gives Charlotte an option when it can’t get a clean drive.
With Miller, Knueppel, and Schroder all out, the Hornets need another strong shooting night from Allen to keep Phoenix from packing the paint.
X-Factors
Jalen Green is averaging 11.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 42.6% shooting from the field and 27.3% from three. His best contribution could come from attacking closeouts and making the next pass. Jordan Goodwin and Luke Kennard can make those passes count. Goodwin averages 9.5 points and shoots 48.4% from deep, while Kennard averages 8.3 points on 53.2% shooting from the field and 48.7% from three. Goodwin went 6-for-7 from beyond the arc against the Clippers.
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Khaman Maluach may have the most important assignment for Phoenix. He’s averaging 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 61.5% from the field. With Williams out, the Suns need him to hold his ground inside and finish defensive possessions. If he gets pulled away from the rim by Reid, Bridges and the guards will have to help on the glass.
For Charlotte, Diabate averages 8.9 points and 9.1 rebounds on 63.5% shooting. He’s probable, and his work around the basket would give the Hornets a better chance of exploiting Phoenix’s lack of size.
Coby White is averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 assists since returning, but he’s shooting just 23.7% from the field. With Schroder out, Charlotte needs White to keep the offense organized even if his shot still isn’t falling.
Tidjane Salaun, who averages 6.9 points and shoots 41.0% from three, gives the Hornets another way to stretch the floor.
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Prediction
Charlotte can keep this close by winning the offensive glass and getting another strong night from Reid and Allen. But Phoenix has more ways to score, and Booker should be able to create good looks for himself and the Suns’ shooters.
Phoenix doesn’t need another 22-three night. If Maluach and Bridges keep Charlotte’s second chances manageable, the Suns should pull away late.
Prediction: Suns vs. Hornets 116-110
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
