Preview: Suns Return Home, Face 76ers
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns (39-29) return home after over a week on the road as they complete the two-game season set against the Philadelphia 76ers (38-30).
The Suns are coming off of a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday where defensive shortcomings arose, while the Sixers gutted out a low-scoring affair with the Miami Heat on Monday.
The 76ers will be without key contributors such as Joel Embiid and De'Anthony Melton, while Phoenix will only be missing Josh Okogie out of players that have been injured recently.
A quick recap on Philly's recent play, key matchup, and game prediction:
Philly's Recent Performance
Philadelphia was 29-17 after a defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on January 30.
This also marked the last game that star C Joel Embiid has played since, as he suffered a meniscus injury late in that game.
The squad has clearly struggled since Embiid's exit from the lineup - to the tune of going 8-13 since.
This should be a game that the Suns can manage to win, but Sixers' star G Tyrese Maxey and quality swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. could take advantage of the Suns' porous defense as of late.
Key Matchup: Sixers' Perimeter Attack vs Suns Defense
The Suns have had two games in the last week in which opposing teams have found cracks in the personnel the Suns trot out.
The Sixers have only shot 34.8% from three-point range over the last 10 games, so the Suns have an opportunity to work out some kinks surrounding rotations, communication, etc. But that opportunity can't be taken lightly.
As previously mentioned, Maxey has taken a leap into being a legitimate star over the course of the season, and is the odds-on favorite to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award.
Phoenix certainly can't take this matchup lightly.
Prediction: Suns Win
The Suns will come out on top tonight in a tightly contested match that could become closer than comfort due to a number of Philadelphia players that could catch fire.
The Suns go into Thursday's game with Atlanta looking to lock up at the very worst a .500 record in the 2023-24 campaign.
Suns-Sixers is set to tip shortly past 7:00 PM Arizona time tonight.
