Four Suns Crack Christmas Day Top 25 Player Rankings
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The Phoenix Suns are again featured in a Christmas Day lineup that is loaded with stars across the league.
The NBA knows exactly what Christmas Day games mean to both player and fan, and most years they're able to deliver at least one memorable matchup thanks to a strong combination of talented teams and superstars.
Action first begins when the Philadelphia 76ers travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks before the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Dallas Mavericks.
The afternoon slate features the Boston Celtics hosting the Milwaukee Bucks before the Memphis Grizzlies visit the Golden State Warriors.
To cap a loaded day of hoops, the Suns will hit the road for a late meeting with the Denver Nuggets.
Stars appear up and down the lineup, and in ESPN's Top 25 player rankings just for Sunday, the Suns have four familiar faces featured:
Four Suns Crack Christmas Day Top 25 Player Rankings
No. 24: Chris Paul
Ranked Ahead of: Christian Wood
Ranked Behind: Malcolm Brogdon
"Now in his 18th NBA season, Paul is possibly beginning to show his age, shooting a career-worst 39.2% from the field.
"Signature moment of the season: In his best game of the season, Paul scored 28 points and dished out eight assists in Monday's win over the depleted Lakers, a performance Phoenix hopes is a sign of things to come for the future Hall of Famer after a slow start."
No. 17: Deandre Ayton
Ranked Ahead of: James Harden
Ranked Behind: Jamal Murray
"After rumblings about the Suns' supposed plans to move on from their former No. 1 pick in Ayton -- with the assumption being the team would find a sign-and-trade partner for the talented center -- the Suns ended up keeping him on a four-year, $133 million extension. The big man has continued to be a double-double machine with a high efficiency rate on offense.
"Signature moment of the season: Ayton dominated the Utah Jazz with 29 points and 21 rebounds in a win in late November. It came about a week after Utah beat the Suns 134-133, in which Ayton neared a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists."
No. 14: Mikal Bridges
Ranked Ahead of: Desmond Bane
Ranked Behind: Jalen Brunson
"Bridges might have a slight build, but he has been an NBA iron man, appearing in every one of the Suns' games since joining the franchise in 2018. He has seen his game grow with Phoenix missing players because of injuries this season, and he is putting up career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game.
"Signature moment of the season: Already one of the league's most respected wing defenders, Bridges has expanded his offensive game this season. The Suns are 7-2 when Bridges scores 20-plus points, and several of his big nights have come against teams Phoenix could see in the West playoffs. These include a game in which he scored 27 on 10-for-13 shooting in a win against the Pelicans; 27 points on 11-for-18 shooting in a win against the Clippers; and 23 points and nine assists in a win against the defending champion Warriors."
No. 7: Devin Booker
Ranked Ahead of: LeBron James
Ranked Behind: Ja Morant
"Shaking off last season's devastating second-round exit, Booker and the Suns are back as an elite West contender, even with floor general Chris Paul missing significant time. Booker is off to another All-NBA-caliber season, averaging a career-high 28 points per game.
"Signature moment of the season The Pelicans gave the Suns all they could handle in the first round last season, pushing the series to six games before Phoenix advanced. But little brother grew up quick, beating Phoenix twice in a row in the regular-season series: 128-117 on Dec. 9 and 129-124 in overtime two days later. Booker and the Suns reestablished their supremacy on Dec. 17 with a 118-114 victory. Booker went bonkers, scoring 58 points on 21-for-35 shooting in the win."
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