Key to Victory: How Suns Defeat Raptors
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have a critically important game ahead of them tonight.
Not because they are playing top-shelf competition, but because they need to avoid losing games they are heavily favored in - especially in the midst of trying to avoid the dreaded play-in tournament.
The Suns need to continue the momentum that was built during the upset victory over the Denver Nuggets - this is the perfect opportunity to flash the potential dominance this team possesses in the tune-up before the much anticipated matchup against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
How exactly do the Suns assert dominance tonight?
The answer is simple.
This needs to be a game that's dictated by the "role players" - a scenario in which Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are carrying the load likely means the outcome of the game is in the balance.
Tonight will likely end in a convincing win for Phoenix if even three of Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkic, Eric Gordon, and Bol Bol step up in support of the duo of stars while Devin Booker remains out due to injury.
Beal needs to have a bounce-back game after having a rough outing prior to the overtime frame in the last contest, but Gordon is truly the singular player due for a "get right" game.
Gordon missed over a week after suffering an injury against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 23, and has returned with mixed results the past two games.
The sharpshooter has had an up-and-down first season in the Valley, but the Suns post an 8-1 record in 20-point efforts from Gordon.
It's clear the high-end play from Gordon - and other role players - yields strong results for the Suns.
