Can the Suns close out a dominant win over the Wizards tonight?
Who: Phoenix Suns (22-21) vs. Washington Wizards (6-37)
When: 7:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Footprint Center — Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: AZFamily, Suns Live
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Washington Wizards roll into the desert for their annual pilgrimage, bringing with them a pitiful six wins to their name. It’s another one of those “get it while you can” matchups for the Phoenix Suns. The schedule ahead? Brutal. The games are about to get harder, the stakes higher, and the weight of every win and loss more excruciating as the season marches on.
Per Tanktahon, the Phoenix Suns have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, with a combined opponent winning percentage of .533.
— John Voita (@DarthVoita) January 23, 2025
On paper, it should be a cakewalk.
Phoenix faced off with Washington just nine days ago, coming out on top 130-123. The game was mostly under control, almost never in doubt, but there was that ‘almost’ lurking. As they’ve done all too often this season, the Suns took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, allowing Washington to explode for 40 points. The Wizards nearly pulled off a shocker, coming within three points before Devin Booker’s timely three-pointer calmed the storm. Should it have come down to that? Probably not.
The Suns are currently 12-4 against teams under .500 this season, though they sure have a knack for turning those matchups into thrill rides. Here’s hoping tonight isn’t one of those nights.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Bradley Beal — PROBABLE (Left Ankle)
Wizards
- Marvin Bagley, III — OUT (Right Knee Sprain)
- Saddiq Bey — OUT (Right ACL)
- Malcolm Brogdon — OUT (Right Foot; Plantar Fascia Contusion)
Uniform Matchup
What to Watch For
This marks the homecoming for Nick Richards, who was acquired by the Suns during their five-game Eastern Conference swing. It will be his first time playing in Phoenix as a member of the Suns.
“Everybody has been telling me to just be myself and I’ve been telling myself since I got here,” Richards said yesterday. “I’m playing with some of the best guys in the world. Just trying to play through them. Trying to get to know everybody. Trying to build that chemistry with every single player on the team.”
Expectations are high for him to thrive against a Wizards front line featuring an unmotivated Kyle Kuzma — averaging just 14 points this season and shooting a dismal 25.9% from three — and rookie Alex Sarr.
The center rotation is also something to watch closely. With Jusuf Nurkic no longer on the injury report, Phoenix now has four centers at their disposal. But Mike Budenholzer isn’t going to play all of them. The real question is how he adjusts his rotations with Nurkic back in action.
“All those guys have played for us and are capable,” Coach Bud said. “They’ve all got to earn their minutes.”
Let the battle for center minutes begin…
Key to a Suns Win
Don’t allow Washington to garner any confidence. Attack the defensive glass. Avoid committing any opposing rhythm.
Just because the Wizards have only won six games doesn’t mean they should be taken lightly. When teams come up against Phoenix, they’re not just facing any roster. They’re going up against an NBA icon in Kevin Durant. Young players, eager to prove themselves, dream of the chance to show out against KD.
And far too often, that’s where the Suns fall short. They forget that these kids have been watching Durant since they were kids themselves. His poster was on their wall, they’ve been rocking KD sneakers since they could tie their shoes.
That’s a dangerous thing for Phoenix. These young players have spent their whole lives idolizing Durant and now they get to face him on the court. They want to have a moment. They want to be able to sit around years from now, reminiscing with a teammate on some random podcast, and say, “I went toe-to-toe with KD. I gave him everything I had.” For the Suns, that could make tonight more than just another game.
Make it a bad memory.
Prediction
The Suns win this one, but they don’t cover the -14.5 FanDuel spread.
It would be nice if Phoenix could live up to expectations for once, right? They did show out against Brooklyn, holding them to just 84 points. But honestly, that wasn’t so much Phoenix’s defense as it was Brooklyn shooting themselves in the foot. Tonight, though, they have a chance to prove something. Let’s see if they can use this game as an opportunity to show real defensive effort and play some cohesive, team-oriented basketball.
Suns 127, Wizards 118