When the NBA made its Christmas Day schedule, it expected Phoenix Suns-Golden State Warriors to be the appetizer to Brooklyn Nets-Los Angeles Lakers, but now, two months into the season? It’s the main course. The Suns and Warriors have been the NBA’s two best teams thus far this season. If things continue down this path, they’ll meet again in the postseason with a trip to the Finals on the line. With a chance to gain ground on postseason tiebreakers on the line, no Christmas Day game carries as meaningful stakes as this one.
The Suns and Warriors have already met twice this season. Phoenix took the first game at home while Golden State took the second in its own building, though Devin Booker got hurt midway through it. As the two sides won’t see each other again until March 30, this is our last chance to watch them face off for a while. Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff.
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Date: Saturday, Dec. 25 | 5 p.m. ETLocation: Footprint Center — Phoenix, ArizonaTV: ESPN/ABC | Live stream: WatchESPN
Odds: Suns -6 | Over/Under: 215.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Phoenix Suns vs. Golden State Warriors
Storylines
Suns: There was no shortage of Suns doubt entering this season. They may have made the Finals, but they didn’t beat a single healthy opponent on the road there. It’s somewhat fitting that their marquee regular-season game is coming against Golden State in that respect. The 2015 Warriors dealt with similar criticism … and won their first 24 games of the 2015-16 season in response.
Phoenix hasn’t been quite that dominant thus far this season, but the Suns have the NBA’s best record. Another win over Golden State would give the Suns some breathing room on that front, but it would also give them another marquee win to silence those critics. They’ve beaten Golden State once and smashed the Lakers twice, but they haven’t seen Milwaukee or Utah yet and as impressive as their road win in Brooklyn was, Kyrie Irving’s absence looms over every game the Nets have played this season. The more wins against contenders the Suns can rack up, the quieter those doubters, if any still exist, will be.
Warriors: Here’s a surprising stat for you: In Golden State’s five consecutive trips to the Finals, the Warriors played only two series without home-court advantage. They won the 2018 Western Conference finals against Houston and lost the 2019 Finals to Toronto. Injuries affected both of those series, but home-court advantage is more significant to the Warriors now than it’s been since at least 2016. It’s easier to win a Game 7 on the road with Kevin Durant on your side.
A loss here wouldn’t exactly sacrifice home court, but Phoenix already leads Golden State in the loss column. Neither of these teams loses all that frequently, and the winner here can clinch the tiebreaker with another win in the fourth installment of this matchup in March. The Warriors don’t have Klay Thompson and they’re likely going to be shorthanded here, but the standings are a harsh mistress. Their best chance at securing the No. 1 seed starts with a win over Phoenix here and now.
Prediction
Phoenix is slightly healthier at the moment, and it beat Golden State in the closest thing these teams have had to a healthy battle (though, without Thompson, it’s hard to know how meaningful that game was). Combined with home-court advantage, Phoenix should be slight favorites in this one. The pick: Suns -6
