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Struggling Suns host Rockets Thursday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 2/4/2016  at  12:38:00 PM
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HOUSTON ROCKETS (26-25)

at PHOENIX SUNS (14-36)

Tip-off: Thursday, 9:05 p.m. ET
Line: Houston -8.0

The Suns will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak when they host the Rockets on Thursday.

The Rockets hosted the Heat on Tuesday and won that game 115-102 as five-point favorites in Houston. The team had lost three straight games heading into that one, so that victory over Miami was crucial for the Rockets’ morale. The Suns, meanwhile, lost 104-97 as 9.5-point home underdogs against the Raptors on Tuesday. Phoenix has lost five straight games and the team is not going to win until it starts taking care of the ball. The Suns have turned the ball over 15 or more times in eight of the past nine games. That type of sloppy play is not going to cut it against the Rockets on Thursday. Houston has owned this head-to-head series in recent years, going 5-2 SU and ATS versus Phoenix in that span. That includes a 3-0 SU and ATS record when playing in Phoenix. The Suns did, however, win the most recent meeting between these teams. They won that game 117-102 as 7.5-point road underdogs on Mar. 21, 2015. One interesting trend to note for this game is that the Rockets are 19-4 ATS after six or more consecutive Overs since 1996. They’re also facing a Suns team that is 3-17 ATS after a non-conference game this season. C Dwight Howard (Suspension Served) is expected to be back in the lineup for this Rockets team, but PFs Montrezl Harrell (Illness) and Terrence Jones (Facial) are doubtful and C Clint Capela (Hip) is questionable. For the Suns, SF T.J. Warren (Ankle) is yet another player on this roster that is out indefinitely.

The Rockets are coming off of a big win over the Heat and SG James Harden (27.9 PPG, 7.1 APG, 6.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG) has been putting the team on his back recently. Over the past five games, Harden is averaging 30.8 PPG, 8.4 APG, 6.4 RPG and 1.8 SPG. He has been hitting shots at a very high clip too, shooting 50.5% from the field and 46.9% from three in that span. When Harden is playing like this, the floor is wide open for his teammates. If he can find his stroke on Thursday then the Rockets should be able to defeat an overmatched Suns team. C Dwight Howard (14.4 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.6 BPG) will likely be able to dominate this game for the Rockets as well. Howard served a one-game suspension in the win over Miami on Tuesday and he should be feeling very good heading into this one. He had some extra time to rest and will now need to get back to doing his job of protecting the rim and finishing around the basket. One x-factor for the Rockets in this game could be PG Patrick Beverley (9.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG). Beverley is one of the best defenders in basketball, but he is also doing a very good job offensively lately. Over the past five games, Beverley is averaging 11.6 PPG and he’s shooting 45.8% from three in those games. James Harden is capable of creating a ton of open looks for Beverley and if he can continue to hit the three then this Rockets team should start winning at a more consistent rate.

The Suns have not been playing well lately, but there are some bright spots for this struggling Phoenix team. With so many injuries in the lineup, SGs Archie Goodwin (7.9 PPG) and Devin Booker (10.3 PPG) are getting to play a ton of minutes. Goodwin was excellent in a loss to the Raptors on Tuesday, finishing the game with 18 points and 12 assists in 45 minutes of action. He is playing the point guard position for the first time in his career and is showing his team that he really knows how to find his teammates for open looks. If he can continue to show that his basketball IQ is no joke then he could earn himself a bigger role next season. Booker, meanwhile, is starting to look like a blossoming star for the Suns. He poured in 27 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors and is now averaging 19.0 PPG over the past five games. He is shooting 41.8% from the outside on the season and can flat-out score the basketball. Booker will, however, need to be on his game defensively on Thursday. If he does not hold his own in a matchup with James Harden then the Suns will likely get blown out on their own home floor.


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