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The Phoenix Suns continue an East Coast swing with a visit to the Charlotte Hornets. Phoenix will be looking to bounce back after a 127-112 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday. The trio of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker are expected to spearhead the visitors’ attack.
After a morale-boosting 110-98 victory against the injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, the Hornets will be taking on a much stronger foe. Beating a team missing five of its best players wasn’t a surprise, but upending the stacked West team will unquestionably create a stir. Hornets coach Steve Clifford will be hoping his squad has enough to thwart the Western Conference powerhouse.
The Suns threw everything at the Celtics and the Green Machine had every answer to their biggest punches. Durant and his teammates should promptly get over that loss or risk a long night in Charlotte. Another loss by Phoenix will be another big hit to its goal of grabbing at least a guaranteed playoff ticket.
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets: Preview, prediction and betting tips
Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the tussle between the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets. NBA TV airs the game nationally starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. Local networks Bally Sports SE-CHA and Arizona’s Family 3TV/Arizona’s Family Sports will cover the same. Streaming is also available by subscribing to the NBA League Pass.
Moneyline: Suns (-450) vs. Hornets (+350)
Spread: Suns (-9.5) vs. Hornets (+9.5)
Total (O/U): Suns (o217.0 -110) vs. Hornets (u217.0 -110)
Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of the writing.
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets: Game preview
As a dance partner, the Phoenix Suns will exchange the owners of the best record in the NBA to one with one of the worst in the league. Still, they can’t afford to overlook the Hornets, considering they will be playing the second night of a back-to-back set. If Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker are not held out, they should have enough to sweep the season series against their opponents.
The Charlotte Hornets had a hot start in their win over Memphis but struggled to close out their heavily undermanned opponents. To dispatch the visitors, they will have to be consistently good from start to finish. Rookie Brandon Miller and veteran forward Miles Bridges will lead Charlotte’s goal of defending its home court.
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets: Starting lineups, subs and rotations
PF - Kevin Durant, C - Jusuf Nurkic, SG - Bradley Beal, SG - Devin Booker and SG - Grayson Allen will open the game for the Phoenix Suns.
Suns coach Frank Vogel often adds a dose of defense to his starting unit by inserting Royce O’Neale into the game. He could relieve Grayson Allen or Jusuf Nurkic. From there, Vogel will likely see how the matchup unfolds before making further substitutions. He often staggers the minutes of his Big Three together against opposition with less firepower.
F - Brandon Miller, SF - Miles Bridges, C - Nick Richards, G - Tre Mann and G Vasilije Micic will line up to tip off for the Charlotte Hornets.
Steve Clifford has a short rotation as he has several players on the injury report. He will likely make substitutions based on how his team performs versus Phoenix. He may get Richards for Grant Williams or backup center Aleksej Pokusevski.
Editor’s Note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play.
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets: Betting tips
Brandon Miller gets an 18.5 over/under points prop on Friday. The rookie had a dismal outing in Memphis but is averaging 19.5 PPG in March. In front of the home fans, he should shake off the lethargy with a big scoring night. He will likely get past his points prop.
Vasilije Micic has been quietly playing well since he was sent to Charlotte in the Gordon Hayward trade. He is averaging 15.4 PPG in March and dropped a career-high 25 points against the Grizzlies. The Serbian will likely get over his 12.5 over/under points prop.
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets: Prediction
The Phoenix Suns will be playing the back end of two straight games but they are desperate for wins in the heated jockeying for playoff positioning in the West. In Durant, Booker and Beal, Phoenix has the best three players in the showdown with the Charlotte Hornets. The Suns are road-weary but they are likely running away with a victory.
