The Phoenix Suns (37-27) are hitting the road for a four-game road trip tonight - the first of which is against the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-23).
The Cavaliers are coming off of a shocking 120-101 loss to the Brooklyn Nets last night, while Phoenix lost in tough 117-107 fashion to the NBA-best Boston Celtics on Saturday night
Devin Booker is probable for the contest after missing four games due to an ankle sprain.
Two headlines and a prediction for tonight:
Cavs: Strong Competitors
The Cavaliers sat at 18-14 going into 2024 - a solid mark, but unspectacular at the end of the day - much like Phoenix.
Cleveland has been an entirely different team since then, taking a 23-9 turn over the last two months.
This stretch can be attributed to a major uptick in play from star G Donovan Mitchell - who is out today - as well as stringent defense and a masterful coaching job by head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
The main concern with Cleveland of late is the offense - they have had four instances of finishing around or below 100 points in a game since their return from the all-star break.
This game also has an added layer of meaning due to the longstanding rivalry between Cavaliers' governor Dan Gilbert and Suns' governor Mat Ishbia.
It will be fascinating to see how this game plays out.
Key Matchup: Jusuf Nurkic vs Jarrett Allen
Jarrett Allen has arguably been Cleveland's most important player outside of Mitchell since the turn of 2024, which has culminated in the big man averaging 19.8 PPG/14.2 RPG in March thus far.
Nurkic has certainly exceeded expectations in his first season with the Suns, but Allen posts a unique challenge as both a freak athlete and a skilled finisher/tenacious rim protector.
This matchup could go a long way to deciding the outcome of a game between two strong teams.
Prediction: Suns Win
The Suns rebound nicely from the loss to Boston and defeat a Cleveland team that has surpassed expectations this season after a string of unfortunate injuries.
With six Cavaliers out for tonight, this also gives the Suns an upper hand, as Booker is in line to play, as mentioned previously.
Suns-Cavs is set to tip off shortly after 4:30 PM Arizona time this evening.
More must-reads: