Who: Phoenix Suns (42-34) vs. Charlotte Hornets (40-36)
When: 4:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, North Carolina
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Phoenix Suns are looking to solidify their position as the seventh seed in the West and maintain control of their standing. With only six games left, this is going to be a big test, as they are only up three games on the Los Angeles Clippers. After a devastating loss to Orlando, they now look to get
a sneaky win against one of their Southeast rivals, the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets and Suns have been pretty good friends in the trade market, exchanging players over the past few transaction periods. That being said, both are fun, exciting young teams who are trying to make a statement this year. The Suns want to be that defensive powerhouse that can guard anyone one through five, while the Hornets want to outscore you with their lethal offense.
Charlotte has been able to take care of business and is now no longer rebuilding but looking to shine with Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller. A relatively healthy team, compared to past seasons, has shown that, with the new culture brought by Charles Lee, they can win now and in the future too.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Mark Williams – QUESTIONABLE (Left Foot Third Metatarsal Stress Reaction)
- Amir Coffey — OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
- Haywood Highsmith — OUT (Right Knee Injury Management)
Hornets
- PJ Hall — OUT (Right Ankle Soreness)
What to Watch For
One thing to watch for in this one is how Dillon Brooks is back in with this team. He missed 18 games with a broken hand, leaving the Suns a bit disconnected on defense. Not having their main anchor of defense made it tough to stop opponents from getting to the paint and eventually scoring.
Having him back should bolster the Suns’ rim protection. With Brooks, we saw that he returned in his first game. He got into some old trouble early as well. His limiting that (as best as he can) would be helpful so the Suns can keep him on the court for those defensive purposes. This Hornets offense is talented, and Brooks is going to have to be key to stopping their electric scorers.
Brooks, offensively as well, has to find himself back in this groove as he, Booker, and Green are all healthy. This is the time we have all been waiting for: a healthy three-headed monster that can win the Suns’ games. For Brooks, he needs to find his shots and find when he can take those in the offense. After starting the game off with a nice turnaround jump, he then went 3-of-12 for the entirety of the game from the field. Finding where he can succeed, given how iso-heavy he is on the offensive side, is something to look for in this one as the Suns gear up for the Play-In.
Key to a Suns Win
The big key to his game is going to be matching the Hornets’ offensive output. They have been the best offensive team since the calendar year flipped to 2026, and they have completely changed the franchise’s trajectory. That being said, they put up a lot of points and have the shooters to do so. Both LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel can swing a run individually, something the defense will have to be on lock for.
The Suns will need Jalen Green and Devin Booker to once again combine for a great combination of points to keep them in arm’s reach. This time, hopefully getting some trips to the foul line, unlike in Memphis the other night.
Guys like Dillon Brooks, Ryan Dunn, and Rasheer Fleming are going to have to step up defensively to shut the hot Hornets offense down. With Fleming’s recent development, he needs more playing time, and hopefully, he sees that in this one.
Prediction Time
The Suns turn the corner and beat Charlotte for the second time this season
Suns 114, Hornets 106
