Phoenix Suns Vs. Brooklyn Nets: Predictions, Starting Lineups (1/31/24)
After dropping back-to-back road games, the Phoenix Suns snapped out of it and secured a win in South Beach against the Miami Heat. Can Phoenix start a winning streak with this road game against the Brooklyn Nets? Find out below in our Phoenix Suns vs. Brooklyn Nets predictions and matchup preview!
Phoenix Suns Vs. Brooklyn Nets Prediction
The big news for the Brooklyn Nets is the return of Ben Simmons, who looked fantastic in 18 minutes off the bench in their last game against the Utah Jazz (147-114). Simmons finished the bout with ten points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, which, needless to say, was a fantastic first game.
Simmons’ ability to push the ball in transition, find open teammates, and present a potential defensive mismatch allows Brooklyn’s other weapons, like Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, and Mikal Bridges, to get cleaner looks off the ball and operate within a more fluid offense.
Meanwhile, Phoenix has been excellent when it can deploy Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker; the Suns have only played 16 games with that trio this season, but they have a net rating of +12.3 when they are available, including an offensive rating of 123.6. While 16 games doesn’t seem like a substantial amount of run for this trio, it gives us enough sample size to eliminate the possibility of outlier data. They are dominant together.
Regardless, Brooklyn played some fantastic basketball with Simmons back in the rotation. Simmons’ minutes will likely increase, giving the Nets even more size and spacing, which they have lacked in his absence. We like Brooklyn a lot in this spot to either win or keep this game within one possession by the final horn.
Ultimately, Phoenix does not have much depth right now. The Suns rank 22nd in bench net rating, while Brooklyn is eighth, and just potentially got a lot better with Simmons returning to the rotation. Any lead that Phoenix generates with its starting lineup deployed will likely be lost when its second unit has to take the floor.
Further, Brooklyn has the second-highest net rating (+11.1) in the NBA over its past three games; the Nets’ defense has been particularly impressive, holding the Utah Jazz to 114 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves to 94 points, and the Houston Rockets to 104 points on the second-lowest opponent field goal percentage and the sixth-lowest opponent 3P% in that span.
If Simmons’ minutes do indeed jump up into the 20s, and he plays similarly to how he did against Utah, this Nets team getting points is a steal, especially at home, where they are 14-8-2 against the spread this season.
Phoenix Suns Vs. Brooklyn Nets Prediction: Nets +3.5 (-110)
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Phoenix Suns Vs. Brooklyn Nets Best Odds
After knocking off the Miami Heat as road dogs, the Phoenix Suns are 3.5-point road favorites against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Phoenix has Moneyline odds of -162 to win outright, regardless of whether it covers the spread or not, while the Nets are +136 to protect their home floor. The point total for this bout rests around 231.5 points, with both the Over and Under holding odds of -110.
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
PG: Devin Booker
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Grayson Allen
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Jusuf Nurkic
Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup
PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
SG: Cam Thomas
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Cameron Johnson
C: Nic Claxton
Phoenix Suns Vs. Brooklyn Nets Injuries
The Brooklyn Nets had Ben Simmons available again for the first time since early November; however, they will still miss three players for this game, including Day’Ron Sharpe (knee), Dariq Whitehead (shin), and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle.)
For Phoenix, Damion Lee will continue to miss time due to a knee injury, while Grayson Allen (ankle) and Bol Bol (foot) are game-time decisions for Wednesday’s game against the Nets.
