Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns game preview

SB Nation

This was supposed to be the game that proved which team won the Kevin Durant trade.

That’s how the NBA works. This was always supposed to be a referendum. If the Phoenix Suns win, it’ll show everyone that

Rafael Stone was fleeced and the Suns have a better future than the Houston Rockets.

Unfortunately, the two key pieces in the trade are not available tonight. Jalen Green is dealing with a hamstring and Kevin Durant is missing Houston’s next two games with a personal matter. Green is likely to miss the teams’ next meeting in early December. Hopefully both teams will be healthy on January 5 for the third meeting.

In reality, it feels like both teams came out of the trade pretty well. The Rockets got the closer they needed and the Suns were able to reset as a franchise built around Devin Booker and some fun pieces. Phoenix is 8th in offensive rating, third in offensive rebounding, and third in turning opponents over. They’re also 27th in turnover rate of their own, so expect a lot of turnovers tonight for both teams.

This is the Dillon Brooks revenge game, and I expect him to talk some shit. Obviously, his time in Houston didn’t end like it did in Memphis, so there isn’t the same sort of feelings. But Brooks is the sort of player that takes whatever motivation he can get, so he’ll probably hype up the crowd after a big shot.

This is also a return game for Josh Okogie. He played 157 games over three seasons with Phoenix. I believe this is his first game back in Phoenix since he was traded to Charlotte before the deadline.