Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder 2/24/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Prediction
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Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder Matchup Preview (2/24/22)
The Phoenix Suns (48-10) travel to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (18-40) Thursday night. The Suns are reeling off the news that Chris Paul will be out until at least the beginning of April. Fortunately, they hold a 6.5 game lead over the 2nd seed Golden State Warriors. Devin Booker is now the unquestioned leader on the court. He will need to perform ball handling duties in addition to his role as the main scorer. With backup guard Cameron Payne also nursing an injury, Aaron Holiday and Elfrid Payton make up the point guard rotation. The Suns enter this matchup on a 7-game winning streak containing impressive wins over the Bulls, 76ers, and Bucks. They are currently on pace for 67 wins, but Paul’s injury likely means this target won’t be reached. Frank Kaminsky and Dario Saric continue to remain out for the Suns. The center rotation is fruitful though with Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee on the roster.
The Thunder are clearly looking beyond this season, so development has been their focus. They own the 4th worst record and do not appear likely to make a run to close out the season. They entered the All-Star break with a 114-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Josh Giddey produced a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Rookie Tre Mann displayed his scoring prowess with 24 points on 50 FG%. Off the bench, Theo Maledon scored 22 points on 6/14 from the field. The starting lineup is receiving a massive boost against the Suns as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is available to play. He’s missed the past 10 games for the Thunder due to injury. However, Luguentz Dort, Ty Jerome, Mike Muscala, and Kenrich Williams are expected to miss the contest. Tre Mann will get the start again because of Dort’s absence, while Isaiah Roby will take Mike Muscala’s minutes.
Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Odds
The Suns have beaten the Thunder twice this season. On December 23rd, the Suns won 113-101 because of Devin Booker (30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) and Deandre Ayton (19 points, 12 rebounds). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. On December 29th, the Suns prevailed 115-97. Booker dropped 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, and Ayton did not play in this one. In their third matchup on Thursday, I like the Suns to continue their streak over the lottery-bound Thunder. Chris Paul is out, but the Thunder are also missing key players in Dort, Muscala, Jerome, and Williams. I don’t expect the game to be high-scoring at all. The Thunder defense is far superior to their offense, and the Suns will see a dip in offensive production due to Paul’s injury.
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TV Schedule
Date: 2/24/22
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Arena: Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
Channel: BSOK, NBA League Pass
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Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
PG: Aaron Holiday
SG: Devin Booker
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Jae Crowder
C: Deandre Ayton
Phoenix Suns Analysis
Even though Paul is injured, the Suns still have the best player in this matchup. Devin Booker is a steady scoring presence at 25.5 PPG on a 44/36/86 shooting split. Dort’s injury is a huge blow to the Thunder’s perimeter defense. Dort was the best option to guard Booker because of his size and lateral quickness. Booker torched the Thunder earlier this year for 30 points and 38 points, and I expect him to have a similar game in this one. Outside of Booker, the Suns will look to Deandre Ayton in this game. The Thunder’s biggest weakness is their center rotation of Derrick Favors and Isaiah Roby. Ayton’s coming off a 23-point, 9-rebound performance against the Rockets. Ayton will easily bully the Thunder in the paint, so a double-double with 20+ points is definitely a reasonable night for Ayton to have.
The X factor for the Suns is sharpshooter Cameron Johnson. He’s averaging 11.9 PPG on 43 3PT%, and he’s scored 10+ points in 9 of his last 13 games. With Paul out, the Suns need to find other sources of offense. Johnson has the capability to catch fire from deep and blow open the game. Against this weak Thunder bench, Johnson can swing this game by himself.
Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup
PG: Josh Giddey
SG: Tre Mann
SF: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
PF: Darius Bazley
C: Isaiah Roby
Oklahoma City Thunder Analysis
The offense finally has its primary scorer back. Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder at 22.7 PPG while also contributing 5.5 APG. He’s double-teamed at one of the highest rates in the NBA, so his facilitating ability is vital to keeping defenses honest. The Thunder need Gilgeous-Alexander to neutralize Booker’s impact by matching him in points. Dort, the second leading scorer, is out for this matchup. Therefore, the Thunder will rely on their pair of rookies: Josh Giddey and Tre Mann. Giddey’s produced a triple-double in his last three games, and his all-around game is a spark for the offense. His individual scoring needs work, but his ball handling and shot creation are lethal. Tre Mann scored 30 and 24 points in his last two outings on a combined 52 FG%. He’s a solid spot up shooter, but his value lies in his jump shots off the dribble. Since he can create his own shot, there is less defensive pressure on Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey.
The bench may be overwhelmed against an experienced Suns squad. Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, and Aaron Wiggins all have potential, but they are too inexperienced and raw to be reliable bench threats. Maledon and Pokusevski are both 20-years-old, while Wiggins is 23-years-old. The Suns bench – Payton, Craig, Johnson, McGee – has the definite edge against this youthful Thunder second unit.
Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder Daily Fantasy Picks
I like Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Josh Giddey to thrive in this matchup. Booker will control the ball far more with Paul out, so his scoring and assists should see an increase. Booker has owned the Thunder this year, and Dort’s absence means the Thunder lack a suitable individual defender. Look for Booker to score 30+ points and narrowly miss a double-double by a couple assists. For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander will have a monster return. The Suns are excellent defensively, but pick and roll ball handler defense is not their strength. Gilgeous-Alexander can take advantage of the Suns through his superb play in the pick and roll, especially with Paul’s defense not in the equation. Josh Giddey can also exploit this through his crafty ball handling. Although I don’t think Giddey’s triple-double streak will continue with Gilgeous-Alexander back in the lineup, he will have a great game. A stat line around 18 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds is easily feasible for this outstanding rookie.
