The Phoenix Suns will face the Boston Celtics on March 14 (Thursday) at the TD Garden Arena. This is the second encounter between the two teams this season, with the Celtics winning the first one 117-107 on Saturday. Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and one steal in that game. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant scored 45 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and one steal for Phoenix. Boston leads the all-time matchup against the Suns by 76-60.
Preview
The Suns are 5-5 in their last 10 games, because of which they dropped to seventh place in the Western Conference. They are coming off a 117-111 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Kevin Durant scored 37 points, while Devin Booker and Bradley Beal had 27 and 24 points, respectively.
The Celtics currently have the best record (51-14) in the league, as they are first in the Eastern Conference. They are coming off three consecutive wins, which include a victory over Phoenix as well. Their most recent win came against the Utah Jazz, 123-107, on Tuesday. “Taco Jay” scored 38 points in that contest.
Starting lineup
Phoenix Suns’ Josh Okogie and Damion Lee are out for Thursday’s game. Nassir Little is probable, while Eric Gorden is questionable. The Suns are expected to start with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic.
The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis. Jaylen Brown is questionable with a back injury. They will most likely start with Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
Betting tips & Prediction
Kevin Durant’s over/under for the upcoming game is 27.5 points. He has scored 35 points or more in his last four games. He will most probably score more than 27 points against the Celtics, so bet on him to go over.
Jayson Tatum has an over/under of 30.5 points. Because Porzingis is unavailable and Jaylen is questionable, Tatum will get more chances to score so he can go over this mark.
Also Read: Ranking the NBA Center Tiers 2023-24 Season
The Celtics are favored to win the upcoming contest at home, but the result can be something else because of their injury concerns. Also, the Suns’ big three will be tough to handle. You can expect the Suns to win the game and beat the odds. The team total is expected to go over 227.5 points.
