5 things to watch for in tonight's Spurs vs. Suns matchup
The San Antonio Spurs just swept their first back-to-back-to-back set of game and are about to start a back-to-back set of games beginning tonight in Phoenix to face the Suns.
The last time these two teams tangled in January, the Spurs dropped the Suns 102-91 in San Antonio. Cold-shooting and horrible defense doomed the Suns in their last game versus the Spurs. Phoenix trailed as much as 19 points and allowed San Antonio to shoot 56.3% in the fourth quarter. Tim Duncan led the way for the Spurs with 24 points and 11 rebounds while Suns' Marcin Gortat posted 24 points and 15 rebounds.
For a complete preview of tonight's contest, check out Project Spurs' Paul Garcia's breakdown but here are five things to watch for in tonight's matchup.
- Be mindful of Frye and Dudley. Phoenix is 16-7 this season when Channing Frye and Jared Dudley score in double figures in the same game.
- Don't let the Suns pour in the points. The Suns are 12-4 this season when they score 100 points or more.
- These aren't your Suns teams of the past. They actually pay defense now. Phoenix is allowing 45.1% shooting this season, the 10th-lowest in Suns history.
- Spurs need to take the lead at the end of the third quarter. The Suns are 2-7 at home when they trail at the end of the third period.
- Keep the Suns from getting to the charity stripe. The Suns are 10-4 at home when they attempt more free throws than their opponent.
Team comparison. Here is how the Spurs and Suns fared against one another in their previous meeting (via nba.com).
I love how Pop sat Jax out the entire game. I was starting to get worried when he started chucking up forced 3s, especially towards the end of the back-back-back in PHI. The last thing we need is Jax thinking he's more than just a player on the team. Loved the win tonight. Boris is starting to show signs of his MIP year. On defense, he has great feel for spacing and defends deceivingly tough in the post. He showcased his offensive versatility tonight by scoring 6 and dishing out 4 dimes. All while setting awesome screens for Tony and our playmakers. What a fucking pick up. I think we're ready for a serious run guys. Get ya popcorn ready. GO SPURS GO.
The spurs has all the advantages in this game. It should not be wasted. Hope they play with complete compliment tonight. Diaw returns to the place where he started.
