3rd Quarter Report
A win for the Suns would push their record over .500, and after three quarters of play they’ve put themselves in a good position to make it happen. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Hornets 103-89.
If the Suns keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 16-15 in no time. On the other hand, the Hornets will have to make due with a 7-23 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Charlotte Hornets @ Phoenix Suns
Current Records: Charlotte 7-22, Phoenix 15-15
How To Watch
- When: Friday, December 29, 2023 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Footprint Center — Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: Bally Sports SE Charlotte
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $75.60
What to Know
The Suns will be playing the full four quarters on Friday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Charlotte Hornets at 9:00 p.m. ET at Footprint Center. The Suns have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they’ve increased their point totals each of their last three games.
The Rockets typically have all the answers at home, but on Wednesday the Suns proved too difficult a challenge. They took down the Rockets 129-113. The Suns pushed the score to 104-84 by the end of the third, a deficit the Rockets cut but never quite recovered from.
Kevin Durant got back to being his usual excellent self, as he dropped a triple-double on 27 points, ten rebounds, and 16 assists. Those 16 assists set a new season-high mark for him. Another player making a difference was Eric Gordon, who went 7 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 27 points and 1 assists.
Meanwhile, the Hornets’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their ninth straight loss. They found themselves the reluctant recipients of a 133-112 punch to the gut against Los Angeles. The game was up for grabs at halftime, but sadly the Hornets were thoroughly outmatched 75-55 in the second half.
Even though they lost, the Hornets were working as a unit and finished the game with 29 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Lakers only racked up 41 assists.
Phoenix’s victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 15-15. As for Charlotte, they have been struggling recently, as they’ve lost 11 of their last 12 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-22 record this season.
The Suns strolled past the Hornets when the teams last played back in March by a score of 105-91. Will the Suns repeat their success, or do the Hornets have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Phoenix is a big 15.5-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Suns as a 15-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 231 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Phoenix has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Charlotte.
- Mar 01, 2023 – Phoenix 105 vs. Charlotte 91
- Jan 24, 2023 – Phoenix 128 vs. Charlotte 97
- Jan 02, 2022 – Phoenix 133 vs. Charlotte 99
- Dec 19, 2021 – Phoenix 137 vs. Charlotte 106
- Mar 28, 2021 – Phoenix 101 vs. Charlotte 97
- Feb 24, 2021 – Charlotte 124 vs. Phoenix 121
- Jan 12, 2020 – Phoenix 100 vs. Charlotte 92
- Dec 02, 2019 – Phoenix 109 vs. Charlotte 104
- Jan 19, 2019 – Charlotte 135 vs. Phoenix 115
- Jan 06, 2019 – Charlotte 119 vs. Phoenix 113
