Preview: Suns Look to Get Back on Track vs Celtics

PHOENIX -- After blowing a 10-point fourth quarter lead in Friday's 122-115 loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Phoenix Suns continue their six-game road trip tonight against the Boston Celtics.

Both the Suns (39-28) and Celtics (44-23) look a lot different than when they squared off on Feb. 24, a game Boston won 97-81 behind 22 points from Derrick White, as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks were all sidelined due to injury.

Brooks (left hand fracture) is the only one of these four players still out, while both teams will be missing key big men in Mark Williams (left foot third metatarsal stress reaction) and Nikola Vucevic (right ring finger fracture).

After shooting just 36.7% from the floor in the first meeting against Boston, Phoenix has improved a lot offensively as of late with a 51.4% team field goal percentage the last three games behind strong performances from Booker and Jalen Green.

How Suns Can Upset Celtics

The Celtics are a pretty difficult team to play against because of how well they take care of the ball (first in fewest turnovers per game) and get up, and make, 3-point shots (36.3% on 42.5 attempts per game).

Adding in Tatum to the mix has only made Boston more dangerous considering the Celtics were already the No. 2 seed in the East before his return from an Achilles tear 10 days ago.

The Suns, who are 8.5-point underdogs, cannot let the Celtics get going from deep and, at the same time, will have to find a way to contain both Tatum and Brown despite rolling out a smaller starting lineup.

Offensively, Phoenix would like to see Booker and Green carry over their hot streaks into tonight after both players scored 30 or more points in each of the last two games, but the Suns also have to get everyone else involved after the rest of the starting five combined for just 11 points against Toronto.

Collin Gillespie, who scored a team-high 15 points in the first matchup against Boston and is shooting 42% from 3 on the year, had his first scoreless outing of the season versus the Raptors, going 0-for-3 from the floor.

“Find those opportunities, hunting 3s,” Gillespie said (via The Arizona Republic). “Being ready to catch-and-shoot knowing that those guys are back. More on-ball stuff might not be available as much, but being ready to catch-and-shoot off the ball.”

He added: “Not missing those opportunities is important because you don’t know how many you’re going to get and not letting it affect the other areas of the game that I can impact. Loose ball. Creating extra possessions. Defense. Finding those guys in the pockets where they can score. Just doing all the other little stuff to impact winning even if I’m not getting those shots, but I got to be ready to shoot once I catch.”

The Celtics have won five games in a row against the Suns over the last few seasons, so Phoenix, who needs every win it can get for playoff positioning, should be extra motivated coming into tonight in a place where Booker scored 70 points back in 2017.

Tonight's game is scheduled to tip off shortly after 4:30 p.m. MST.