The last two times I picked the suns to lose they won, so hoping they will probably win tonight!
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Phoenix (50-26) at Sacramento (41-37)
Preview - Box Score - RecapThe Sacramento Kings probably hope this isn't the last time they will face the Phoenix Suns this season.
Though the Suns already have wrapped up the Pacific Division title, the Kings might not mind seeing them in the first round of the playoffs considering how both teams are playing heading into their final meeting of the regular season.
Just getting into the postseason, though, remains Sacramento's top concern. With the Kings having won three straight and six of seven, it seems likely they will qualify.
Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers have identical records, and are 2 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Utah for the final two spots in the Western Conference playoff race
Sacramento owns the tiebreaker over the Lakers because it will finish with a better division record, and avoiding the eighth seed would seem to be a big advantage because that team has to face Dallas or San Antonio in the first round.
The seventh seed is likely to open against Phoenix, which is 8-9 since a season-best 11-game winning streak.
"(Playing) Phoenix is a great time and they do a great job of spreading you out and moving the ball around really good," Sacramento swingman Bonzi Wells said. "We've just got to have our track shoes on and be able to stop them on one end, and do our thing on the other."
Having to open the playoffs against the Kings, as opposed to the Lakers, would not seem to benefit a Suns team which is thin on the interior due to injuries to Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas.
While the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers don't have much of an inside game, the Kings do, with Brad Miller in the middle alongside an aggressive rebounder in Kenny Thomas and a versatile forward in Ron Artest.
Miller is coming off one of his best games of the season, finishing with 30 points and 11 rebounds while easily outplaying Yao Ming in an 86-77 victory over Houston on Sunday.
Sacramento is 5-1 since the All-Star break when Miller has a double-double.
"We need all our guys having their confidence, especially Brad because the ball goes through Brad so much and when he can knock down those shots it pulls the center away from the basket and gives guys like me and Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) a chance to operate down low," Wells said.
Miller has an advantage of four inches and nearly 50 pounds over Phoenix center Boris Diaw, who is averaging 20.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists over the last five games.
Despite Diaw's solid play recently, the Suns have struggled. They backed their way into the division title on Sunday night, clinching only because the second-place Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Lakers.
Phoenix, meanwhile, lost 116-114 to a Seattle team which will not make the playoffs. It was the Suns' sixth loss in eight road games.
"We're a bunch of professionals and we should be finding our own motivation every night," Phoenix's Steve Nash said. "If we don't change our attitude and our commitment throughout a game, we're really setting ourselves up for the harsh realities that we've seen."
Nash had 11 assists on Sunday but was held to 13 points. Phoenix has lost six straight when he hasn't scored at least 15.
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Phoenix (50-26) at Sacramento (41-37)
Preview - Box Score - RecapThe Sacramento Kings probably hope this isn't the last time they will face the Phoenix Suns this season.
Though the Suns already have wrapped up the Pacific Division title, the Kings might not mind seeing them in the first round of the playoffs considering how both teams are playing heading into their final meeting of the regular season.
Just getting into the postseason, though, remains Sacramento's top concern. With the Kings having won three straight and six of seven, it seems likely they will qualify.
Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers have identical records, and are 2 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Utah for the final two spots in the Western Conference playoff race
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"We're in charge of everything that we do and if we keep winning, there's nothing anybody can do," Kings guard Mike Bibby said. "We've just got to keep winning." Sacramento owns the tiebreaker over the Lakers because it will finish with a better division record, and avoiding the eighth seed would seem to be a big advantage because that team has to face Dallas or San Antonio in the first round.
The seventh seed is likely to open against Phoenix, which is 8-9 since a season-best 11-game winning streak.
"(Playing) Phoenix is a great time and they do a great job of spreading you out and moving the ball around really good," Sacramento swingman Bonzi Wells said. "We've just got to have our track shoes on and be able to stop them on one end, and do our thing on the other."
Having to open the playoffs against the Kings, as opposed to the Lakers, would not seem to benefit a Suns team which is thin on the interior due to injuries to Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas.
While the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers don't have much of an inside game, the Kings do, with Brad Miller in the middle alongside an aggressive rebounder in Kenny Thomas and a versatile forward in Ron Artest.
Miller is coming off one of his best games of the season, finishing with 30 points and 11 rebounds while easily outplaying Yao Ming in an 86-77 victory over Houston on Sunday.
Sacramento is 5-1 since the All-Star break when Miller has a double-double.
"We need all our guys having their confidence, especially Brad because the ball goes through Brad so much and when he can knock down those shots it pulls the center away from the basket and gives guys like me and Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) a chance to operate down low," Wells said.
Miller has an advantage of four inches and nearly 50 pounds over Phoenix center Boris Diaw, who is averaging 20.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists over the last five games.
Despite Diaw's solid play recently, the Suns have struggled. They backed their way into the division title on Sunday night, clinching only because the second-place Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Lakers.
Phoenix, meanwhile, lost 116-114 to a Seattle team which will not make the playoffs. It was the Suns' sixth loss in eight road games.
"We're a bunch of professionals and we should be finding our own motivation every night," Phoenix's Steve Nash said. "If we don't change our attitude and our commitment throughout a game, we're really setting ourselves up for the harsh realities that we've seen."
Nash had 11 assists on Sunday but was held to 13 points. Phoenix has lost six straight when he hasn't scored at least 15.
