New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns prediction and combined starting 5 - May 7th, 2021

The New York Knicks will visit the Phoenix Suns for a crucial NBA matchup on Friday. The two teams are currently in the top 4 of their respective conferences.

Both the Knicks and the Suns have enjoyed an impressive 2020-21 NBA season, though the former's success has been more shocking.

This will be the second and final matchup between the New York Knicks (37-29) and the Phoenix Suns (47-19) this year.

In the first matchup on April 26th, Monty Williams' Suns secured a 118-110 win over Tom Thibodeau's Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns prediction

Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks head into the matchup against the Phoenix Suns after winning eight of their last 10 games. Their three-game winning streak snapped on May 5th when they lost to the Denver Nuggets. On Friday, the Knicks will be playing the fourth game of a current six-game road trip, which will be decisive for their NBA Playoffs chances.

The New York Knicks are the fourth seed in the East right now but are only two games clear of the Play-In places.

The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, are currently the second seed of the West (and the whole NBA) and are fighting with the Utah Jazz for the best seed in the entire 2020-21 campaign (the Suns are only one game behind the Jazz).

The Phoenix Suns have won seven of their last 10 games but are also coming off a loss against the Atlanta Hawks (135-103).

The Phoenix Suns are surely a better team than the New York Knicks. However, their different ambitions will make this game highly competitive, and the result could go either way.

New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns combined starting 5

Point Guard - Chris Paul | Shooting Guard - Devin Booker | Small Forward - RJ Barrett | Power Forward - Julius Randle | Center - Deandre Ayton

Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns is congratulated by Devin Booker

Chris Paul and Devin Booker are the best players on the Phoenix Suns' roster and have carried the team's impressive regular season so far.

Paul, in his 16th NBA season, is averaging 16.2 points, 8.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, with 49/38/93 shooting splits. He's also been alert on defense and averages 1.4 steals per game.

Booker, on the other hand, is averaging 25.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He is also shooting 48.9% of his field goals, 34.2% of his three-point shots and 86% of his free throws.

RJ Barrett and Julius Randle have been essential for the New York Knicks.

Barrett's growth in his sophomore season has been excellent, as the 40/32/61 shooting splits from his rookie season have been upgraded to 45/39.6/74 shooting splits in the 2020-21 NBA campaign. He is also averaging 17.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game this season.

Meanwhile, Julius Randle has played like a superstar for the New York Knicks. He surely deserves MVP recognition, especially if the Knicks can keep their spot as the fourth seed of the East.

Randle is averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this season with 46/42/80 shooting splits. He has missed only one game this year and leads the New York Knicks in points, rebounds and assists per game.

To close our combined lineup, we have Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, who has been impactful on both ends of the court.

He is averaging 14.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this year while making 62.1% of his field goals. He also leads the Phoenix Suns in Defensive Rating.

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