NBA Cup action resumes on Wednesday night, as the Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns at the Golden 1 Center.
The Suns (11–7, 2–0 NBA Cup) have won ten of their last 13 games, but will attempt to rebound from a Monday loss to the Houston Rockets. The Kings (5–13, 0–2 NBA Cup), meanwhile, aim to keep the momentum rolling after following up an eight-game slide with back-to-back wins for the first time all season — most recently taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime.
Phoenix and Sacramento faced each other in the season opener, where the Suns took home an opening night victory at home.
Here’s a look at the Injury Report:
Sacramento Kings
- Out: Domantas Sabonis (knee), Dennis Schroder (hip)
Phoenix Suns
- Out: Grayson Allen (quad), Ryan Dunn (wrist), Jalen Green (hamstring)
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Suns enter as 4.5-point road favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Kings are listed as +154 underdogs. The game’s total is set at 233.5 points.
Suns vs. Kings Preview
Phoenix Suns Preview
Save for a four-game skid early in the season, the Suns have been playing consistently solid basketball. Phoenix has won ten of its last 13 matchups — including recent wins over the Wolves and the San Antonio Spurs — and sits just above league-average in terms of offensive (13th), defensive (12th), and net rating (13th).
If the earth revolves around the Sun, then the Suns revolve around the perimeter — knocking down over 15 threes per game at a 38.1% clip, both top-five marks in the NBA. They can be a bit careless with the ball at times, though they’ve largely made up for it on the other end.
Phoenix forces the NBA’s third-most turnovers and swipes the second-most steals. While the Suns struggle a bit in the rebounding department — primarily limiting second-chance opportunities — they’ve mitigated the damage and have allowed the league’s sixth-fewest points per game.
Star guard Devin Booker leads the way with 26.4 points and 6.9 assists per game, while Dillon Brooks adds 22 points with a team-high 1.9 steals per contest. Five more Suns average double figures, including Mark Williams, who adds 12.3 points while leading the Suns with 8.4 rebounds a night.
Sacramento Kings Preview
The outlook has been bleak in California’s capital city. The Kings sit in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, producing a miserable 27th-ranked net rating and inching toward what feels like an inevitable roster teardown.
Sacramento has focused its offensive attack around the mid-range, with over 54% of its points coming from inside the perimeter — the second-highest mark in the NBA. The Kings have seven players averaging double-digit point totals but no true superstar, as Zach LaVine leads the team with just 20.5 points per game.
The Kings are one of the league’s worst rebounding teams, though they limit offensive boards. Still, Sacramento has allowed a staggeringly high opponent field-goal percentage and surrenders the fourth-most points per game. They’ve been solid defending the three, but get crushed inside — ranking dead last in blocks per game.
Keegan Murray is Sacramento’s de facto rebounding leader (7.3) with Domantas Sabonis sidelined. Russell Westbrook leads the Kings with 6.6 assists a night, while DeMar DeRozan swipes a team-high 1.3 steals per contest.
Suns vs. Kings Pick, Best Bet
The Suns have been on a tear lately, capitalizing on a less-than-formidable schedule in the early stages of the season. Count on Phoenix to keep the momentum rolling convincingly on Wednesday night against an underwhelming Kings squad that seems destined for a rebuild — especially with one of their top players watching from the sidelines.
