3rd Quarter Report
Fortunes may be turning around for the Suns after losing three in a row. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Rockets 101-84.
The Suns came into the game with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Phoenix Suns @ Houston Rockets
Current Records: Phoenix 14-15, Houston 15-13
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
- TV: KTVK Phoenix
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $43.47
What to Know
The Suns are 8-2 against the Rockets since January of 2021, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Phoenix Suns will wrap up 2023 with a road trip to face off against the Houston Rockets at 8:00 p.m. ET at Toyota Center. Both of these teams will be coming in off a loss in a game they were expected to win.
The Suns’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their third straight loss. They received a tough blow as they fell 128-114 to Dallas.
Despite their loss, the Suns saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Grayson Allen, who scored 32 points, was perhaps the best of all. That’s the first time this season that Allen scored 30 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Chimezie Metu, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 19 rebounds.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to win when you make 14 fewer threes than your opponent, a fact the Rockets found out the hard way on Tuesday. They took a 123-117 hit to the loss column at the hands of Indiana. The Rockets have not had much luck with the Pacers recently, as the team’s come up short the last seven times they’ve met.
The losing side was boosted by Alperen Sengun, who dropped a double-double on 30 points and 16 rebounds. Those 16 rebounds set a new season-high mark for him. Less helpful for the Rockets was Jabari Smith’s abysmal 0-5 three-point shooting.
Phoenix has been struggling recently, as they’ve lost five of their last six matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 14-15 record this season. As for Houston, their loss dropped their record down to 15-13.
Going forward, the Suns are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 2.5 points. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a seven-game streak of failing to cover when expected to win.
The Suns ended up a good deal behind the Rockets in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, losing 111-97. Can the Suns avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Phoenix is a slight 2.5-point favorite against Houston, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Suns, as the game opened with the Suns as a 1-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 225.5 points.
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Series History
Phoenix has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Houston.
- Dec 13, 2022 – Houston 111 vs. Phoenix 97
- Dec 02, 2022 – Houston 122 vs. Phoenix 121
- Oct 30, 2022 – Phoenix 124 vs. Houston 109
- Mar 16, 2022 – Phoenix 129 vs. Houston 112
- Feb 16, 2022 – Phoenix 124 vs. Houston 121
- Nov 14, 2021 – Phoenix 115 vs. Houston 89
- Nov 04, 2021 – Phoenix 123 vs. Houston 111
- Apr 12, 2021 – Phoenix 126 vs. Houston 120
- Apr 05, 2021 – Phoenix 133 vs. Houston 130
- Jan 20, 2021 – Phoenix 109 vs. Houston 103
