Golden State (18-2) at Phoenix (17-3)
When: Tuesday, November 30th 2021
Where: Footprint Center,
Phoenix, AZ
Time: 10:00 ET | TV: TNT
Opening Odds: Phoenix -3/221
If you’re one of those NBA fans who don’t start really following the season until Christmas Day, you’ll be surprised as to who the two best teams in the league are. By far, the Golden State Warriors (18-2) and Phoenix Suns (17-3) lead the entire NBA and they are playing in the same division. After a 1-3 start to the campaign, the Suns have reeled-off 16 consecutive wins, but are still a game behind the Warriors in the conference standings. Phoenix ranks in the top-5 in both offensive and defensive during the streak. This will also be the first time in NBA history that two teams from the same division will play each other with winning percentages this high with at least 20 games played to date.
The Warriors are coming off a 105-90 road win at the L.A. Clippers on Sunday after a sluggish first half. Golden State went on an 11-2 run to start the third quarter to go up 13 points and were never really threatened after that. Phoenix just completed a perfect 4-0 road trip with a 113-107 win at the Brooklyn Nets as 1.5-point underdogs. The Suns took two of the three meetings last season and this will the first in 2021-22. They also play at Golden State on Friday night. The home team has won five of the last six and the under is a remarkable 8-1 in the last nine matchups.
Jordan Poole scored 15 of his 17 points in the third third quarter while Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 33 points in the win over the Clippers. Curry drained 7-of-13 from beyond the arc while recording six assists, five rebounds and a season-high six steals. Curry also set an NBA record on Sunday, reaching 100 made 3-pointers in only 19 games. Otto Porter, Jr. had a big game off the bench with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. The Warriors rank second in scoring (114.0) and first in points allowed (100.3).
Phoenix’s last 16 wins have come by an average of 11.6 points, but had three close games during the recent road trip. The Suns shoot an NBA-best 48.1 percent from the field and are led by Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Booker leads the team with 23.9 points per game, while Chris Paul leads the NBA with 10.1 assists per contest. Deandre Ayton is once again a force in the paint, shooting 64.1 percent from the field while averaging a double-double (15.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG). The Suns will host Detroit on Thursday before their rematch at Golden State on Friday.
Boy, it’s really hard to go against either one of these teams right now. I’ll take the Suns only because they are at home and they haven’t lost a game since before Halloween. Draymond Green is a bit banged up for Golden State and they’ll need everyone to be 100% against the Suns. The home team has won five of the last six.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free NBA Picks page for today.
Pick: Suns -2.5
