Who: Phoenix Suns (39-32) vs. Toronto Raptors (39-30)
When: 7:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Arena — Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, NBATV
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Phoenix Suns continue their march through March, trying to navigate their way to the postseason. One night after a loss to Milwaukee that felt like it should have gone the other way, they welcome in the Toronto Raptors, the same team that sparked this five-game losing streak.
That game still lingers.
Toronto closed that one by outscoring Phoenix 36–23 in the fourth, winning 122–115 on Friday the 13th. Now, nine days later, the Suns have dropped five straight, while the Raptors have gone 3–1 in that same stretch. Momentum has shifted, and it is clear which direction each team is heading.
When these teams last met, they mirrored each other in the standings, both sitting in the seventh seed in their respective conferences. Since then, the paths have split. Phoenix remains in that same spot, looking up at Minnesota, who now sits four games ahead. Behind them, the Clippers and Trail Blazers trail by four.
Toronto has climbed. They now sit in the fifth seed in the East, trying to hold off both Atlanta and Philadelphia, who are right behind them. They are playing with purpose, with something to protect, and that changes the energy they bring into a game like this.
So this is not Milwaukee. This is a team that is engaged, healthy, and motivated. For the Suns, the reality remains the same. The injury report still leans heavily against them, and once again, the approach becomes about survival. Find enough offense. Find enough stops. Stay in it long enough to give yourself a chance. That is the task.
And right now, it has not been an easy one.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Royce O’Neale – QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee Soreness)
- Grayson Allen – OUT (Left Knee Injury Management)
- Dillon Brooks – OUT (Left Hand Fracture)
- Amir Coffey – OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Haywood Highsmith – OUT (Right Knee Injury Management)
- Mark Williams – OUT (Left Foot Third Metatarsal Stress Reaction)
Raptors
- Collin Murray-Boyles — QUESTIONABLE (Left Thumb Sprain)
What to Watch For
We can break down the Raptors all we want. A team that sits 25th in three-point percentage, 23rd in rebounds, and 21st in scoring. Those numbers are there. They matter to a point. It is also worth noting they allow points and still carry the seventh-best defensive rating in the league, which tells you they can make things uncomfortable.
But this is not about Toronto.
This is about Phoenix, and more specifically, what happens when the fourth quarter arrives. Because that has been the story of this losing streak. Over this stretch, the Suns are shooting 31% from beyond the arc and 34.9% from the field in the fourth quarter, both marks sitting at the bottom of the league. Over the last five fourth quarters, they are a -33. That is not a small sample blip. That is a trend.
So it is not about how they play for the first three quarters. They have shown they can compete, that they can stay in games, that they can trade blows. The issue is finishing. And against a team like Toronto, that becomes even tougher. They defend. They rotate. They make you work for everything. If Phoenix finds itself in another tight game late, the challenge will be the same one it has been. Can they execute when it matters most.
The hope is they are still in it when the fourth begins. The need is that they finally close one out.
Key to a Suns Win
As noted above, it comes down to execution in the fourth quarter.
This team is still trying to define who it is, and that becomes harder with every injury. The lack of available bodies allows opposing defenses to key in on what Phoenix wants to do. There are fewer options, fewer counters, and when the game tightens, it shows. If the Suns are going to win this one, it feels like they need a strong fourth quarter from Jalen Green.
We saw a glimpse of it against Minnesota. He scored seven quick points, and it felt like he was about to take control. Then came the 27-foot three, an ill-advised shot that halted the momentum. After that, he scored two more points and only took one additional shot. That cannot happen again.
Devin Booker is being swarmed right now. Teams are loading up on him, sending bodies, taking away his space. He does not have the runway to operate the way he normally would, which means someone else has to step into that moment. That someone has to be Jalen Green.
Prediction
The losing streak continues tonight.
Toronto is playing with purpose, fighting for position, while the Suns remain stuck in the quicksand of injuries. There is only so much you can do when you are asking this version of the roster to carry the load night after night.
So it goes to six. Another game where Phoenix competes, another game where they have stretches, and another game where they cannot close. The Raptors take it, and the Suns are left searching for answers as the calendar keeps moving forward.
Raptors 112, Suns 105
