Phoenix Suns’ play-in chances setting as the Houston Rockets arrive for key clash

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns will be desperate to give their play-in hopes a jolt when they host the red-hot Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on March 30 (March 31, Singapore).

Phoenix (35-39), who have dropped their last two games, are 11th in the Western Conference, one game behind the Sacramento Kings.

The Suns missed an opportunity to move into 10th place on March 28, when they lost 124-109 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

Kevin Durant scored 23 points, but fellow superstar Devin Booker was held to 10, matching his season low.

With Bradley Beal missing his sixth straight game due to a left hamstring injury, second-year guard Collin Gillespie stepped up with career-highs of 22 points and 10 assists in 26 minutes.

Durant is averaging 26.8 points per game to be the league’s seventh-highest scorer this season and Booker’s 25.3 average ranks him 12th, but no other Sun is inside the top 50.

If Gillespie can continue to provide a genuine third offensive option – particularly if Beal’s injury issues continue – it will augur well for the Suns in their fight to climb the standings.

“Collin was great,” Durant said. “(I) wish we could have got a win for him. That would have been even better, but it’s a good stepping stone and will build more confidence.

“I don’t know what the standings are looking like right now, but it’s not looking good for us – we’re out of the play-in. But as pros we’ve got to come back and work, and figure it out as best we can. It’s part of the job, so I’m looking forward to the next game.”

Phoenix have lost their past three meetings with Houston, including both games this season.

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer knows his side need to compete and execute better, offensively and defensively, to curb the Rockets.

“We’ve got to execute at both ends,” he said. “We’ve got to get stops, we’ve got to get out and run. We’ve got to share it. We’ve got to play together. We’ve just got to play good basketball, no matter who we’re playing.”

Houston (48-26) have won 11 of their past 12 outings to catapult into the second spot in the West, moving 1½ games clear of the Denver Nuggets.

The Rockets maintained their superb recent stretch on March 27, when they comfortably accounted for the Utah Jazz on the road 121-110.

Alperen Sengun posted 33 points and 10 rebounds and Jalen Green contributed 21 points.

“They’re a young squad that’s taking advantage of opportunity,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “There are a lot of guys in and out of our line-ups. Some of the vets that are missing, young guys make up for that with effort and playing hard.

“As always this time of year, guys are playing for something, their futures, whatever the case may be.”

Green is averaging 21.5 points to lead the Rockets’ scoring, while Sengun is providing 19.2 points and a team-best 10.5 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, in NBA action on March 29, Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the visiting Boston Celtics easily handled the San Antonio Spurs 121-111, while producing their season-best eighth straight victory.

The Celtics (55-19) dominated San Antonio throughout, leading by 12 points at half-time, by 17 late in the third quarter and 94-81 heading into the final period.

Boston did more than enough to get to the finishing line, never letting the Spurs closer than seven points while building on their league-best road record (31-7).

In Memphis, Austin Reaves had 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers earn a 134-127 victory over the Grizzlies.

Said Reaves: “It’s hard, last game of a road trip, you’re pretty excited to go home. But for that three hours or whatever the game is, you’ve got to lock in.”

Luka Doncic recorded 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers (45-29), who won their second game in three outings and wrapped up a four-game road trip.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 132-111 home win over the Indiana Pacers.

The Thunder have won nine consecutive games, keeping alive the chance of becoming the third team in NBA history to win 70 games. Oklahoma City (62-12) would need to win their remaining games to join the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors and 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. REUTERS, AFP