Phoenix Suns: Three Keys to Victory vs Golden State Warriors

The Phoenix Suns are set to face the Golden State Warriors tonight at 7:00 PM PST in a star-studded matchup.

What needs to go right for the Suns if they are to secure a victory against the Warriors?

Three Keys to Victory

Deandre Ayton Dominates

It's evident that Golden State lacks a true dominant center. Deandre Ayton must take full advantage of this mismatch.

With Kevin Durant out of the lineup, Ayton will surely get more touches and opportunities to thrive on the offensive end. With most of the attention on Devin Booker, the Suns may have to rely on Ayton as the top scoring option down low.

Ayton not only has to perform offensively, but if the Suns are to win he will also need to dominate on the boards on both ends of the court. That also entails the ability to switch and defend players such as Steph Curry, Klay Thomson and Jordan Poole thanks to Golden State's screens.

With Draymond Green probable with an ankle injury, Ayton should take full advantage down low coming off his first double-double in four games.

Devin Booker Outplays Steph Curry

All eyes will be on Booker vs Curry in the scoring department.

Booker has been virtually unstoppable as of late putting up over 25 points in each of his last five games, scoring 30-plus in four of them. Since returning from injury on March 5, Curry has also been playing at an elite level as he is averaging 33.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in his last four games.

Whoever is able to edge the other shooter might just give their team the victory tonight. Both Curry/Booker have been on fire in terms of scoring, and casual fans hope neither slow down tonight.

Durant’s absence will put the pressure on Booker to prove that he can put the team on his back and win games. A victory against the defending champions would be a pretty good start in proving that.

Phoenix's Bench Arrives

Fears of Phoenix's bench becoming the team's Achilles heel are back from last postseason.

In Phoenix’s 128-119 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, Terrence Ross was the only player to score over ten points off the bench. Every other player on the second unit failed to score over five points, an extremely bad sign for a team with championship aspirations.

If the Suns are to hang around with the Warriors, they will need to be more balanced as a team. With Poole coming off the bench for Golden State and averaging 20 points per night, Phoenix will need to find someone on their second unit that can go toe to toe with him.

The Suns are still waiting on Cameron Payne to finally hit his stride. Payne was sidelined for 21 games with a foot injury but since making his return to the lineup on Feb. 24, has just not been able to produce offensively, only scoring double figures in one out of his last seven games.

A big night from Payne or any other bench player could make a huge difference in the outcome of this game.