Suns with KD and Nuggets fear for the ‘Joker’!
In the Valley, the Suns await the first-place team in the West from Denver. The home side are fourth in the Western Conference and, unlike the visitors, head coach Monty Williams has not yet booked his ticket to the postseason.
Phoenix Suns – Statistics & current form
Phoenix have won three in a row recently, putting them in a much better position again in the race for direct tickets to the playoffs in the West. In addition, Kevin Durant returned to the squad in the recent success against Minnesota. KD had previously missed ten games in a row due to injury.
With the “Slim Reaper” on board, the Suns are now clearly in a stronger position again. The ex-Nets forward also played just under 29 minutes in his comeback, so it’s safe to say he’s not under a minutes restriction from the Suns’ medical department either.
Denver Nuggets – Statistics & current form
The basketballers from Colorado have stabilised with four wins recently after a previous weak phase and the first place in the West can hardly be taken away from the Nuggets. Three wins more than the runner-up Memphis and one game less than the Grizzlies make this judgement quite safe.
Head coach Mike Malone’s team from the “Mile-High-City” once again had a successful season thanks to Nikola Jokic. The Serbian has won the title of MVP in the past two seasons and will possibly receive this award for the third time in a row.
Only three players have ever been MVP three times in a row
If he succeeds, Jokic would become only the fourth player in NBA history with such a hat trick. So far, only Boston icon Bill Russel (1960-1963), Wilt Chamberlain with the Sixers (1965-1968) and Larry Bird with the Celtics (1983-1986) have achieved this!
It would be deserved: no player in the NBA has even come close to as many triple-doubles (29) as the “Joker”, demonstrating his incredible high quality and flexibility on the court with impressive regularity. Against the Suns, however, he could possibly be absent, as he had to miss the last game against New Orleans because of a ligament.
Phoenix Suns – Denver Nuggets Tip
In the showdown between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, betting on a home win with at least a nine-point difference is worth considering. The hosts are back with powerful forward Kevin Durant since the last game, while the use of top centre Nikola Jokic is at risk on the other side.
In addition, Denver will have to play a back-to-back, which also puts the league leaders at a physical disadvantage in the West. In addition, the home advantage speaks for the forecast: The home side wins almost 68 percent of their games in front of their own fans.
Last but not least, they will be more motivated. The fourth place should be defended at all costs, while Denver could afford another defeat like in the last game against the Pels, as the gap to the second in the West from Memphis is still three wins.
