{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
Preview
Phoenix at Oklahoma City
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, March 29, 2024
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns have been two of the best shooting teams in the NBA this season.

They meet Friday night in Oklahoma City with the hopes of helping their playoff positions.

The Suns (43-30) enter Friday's action a half-game behind Dallas for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference.

"We know what's at stake," Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said. "We know how many games we have left. We know what the schedule looks like. ... So next game up. The competition is fierce. We're going to have to repeat this and stay at this level to continue to win games."

The Suns face a tough schedule to end their season as all nine remaining opponents are in the top eight in their respective conference standings.

Phoenix, which ranks fourth in the league shooting 49.6 percent from the floor, has won four of its past five, including a 104-97 victory at Denver on Wednesday. Kevin Durant had 30 points and 13 rebounds in the win.

Over his past three games, Durant is shooting 67.9 percent from the floor.

"We know what needs to be done," Durant said. "Conversation is cool, communication is cool, letting everybody know what we need to do out there, but you still got to put our bodies in action to do it. It's a difference between going to do something and just talking about it."

Wednesday's win was the Suns' first this season in five games without Jusuf Nurkic.

Nurkic missed the win over the Nuggets after suffering a sprained ankle in Monday's loss to San Antonio.

The Thunder (50-22), who are second in the league in field-goal percentage (49.9), might be missing one of their key players versus the Suns. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed just his second game of the season in Wednesday's overtime loss to the Rockets.

Gilgeous-Alexander (quad contusion) is listed day-to-day, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. The Thunder are 0-2 without Gilgeous-Alexander this season.

Oklahoma City's Josh Giddey has had his two best scoring games of the season over the past two, including a career-high tying 31-point performance in Wednesday's loss.

Giddey had a rough start to the season but has surged of late.

"When you're missing shots and things aren't going well, to have great people around you is, I think, the best thing for you," Giddey said. "And it's easy to get caught up in your own head thinking about your own game, but when you zoom out, look at the bigger picture, we're a winning team, I'm in a really, really good place. I've got great people around me.

"That's just a blip on the radar. You're going to have ebbs and flows as a young player in your career and in a season. It's just how well you can manage the highs and lows."

Oklahoma City is tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for second in the West, a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets for the top spot.

Friday's game is the last of three between the teams this season and the first in Oklahoma City.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W/L Strk Home Away Day Night Div Conf
Phoenix 43-30 W1 23-14 20-16 4-3 39-27 7-8 24-20
Oklahoma City 50-22 L1 28-8 22-14 2-4 48-18 12-4 32-16
Last Meeting
Phoenix Oklahoma City
Date Away Home Pts Reb FG% Pts Reb FG%
3/3/24 OKC 118 PHO 110 110 50 44.0 118 41 48.0
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Points Player Total FG% FTM
Phoenix B. Beal 31 71.4 8
Oklahoma City S. Gilgeous-Alexander 35 55.6 5
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
Phoenix J. Nurkic 31 13 18
Oklahoma City C. Holmgren 9 4 5
Assists Player  
Phoenix B. Beal 6
Oklahoma City S. Gilgeous-Alexander 9
Season
Points Player Total FG% FTM
Phoenix K. Durant 1889 52.9 351
Oklahoma City S. Gilgeous-Alexander 2153 53.9 533
Rebounds Player Total Off Def
Phoenix J. Nurkic 771 206 565
Oklahoma City C. Holmgren 592 117 475
Assists Player  
Phoenix D. Booker 419
Oklahoma City S. Gilgeous-Alexander 452
Quickchart Matchup
Phoenix Phoenix Off vs  Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Defense
Phoenix Off vs Oklahoma City - Points For 116.9 Points For
Phoenix Off vs Oklahoma City - Points Against 113.2 Points Against
Phoenix - FG% 49.6 FG%
Oklahoma City - FG% 45.7 FG%
Phoenix - Reb 44.3 Reb
Oklahoma City - Reb 44.8 Reb
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Off vs  Phoenix Phoenix Defense
Oklahoma City Off vs Phoenix - Points For 120.4 Points For
Oklahoma City Off vs Phoenix - Points Against 113.9 Points Against
Oklahoma City - FG% 49.9 FG%
Phoenix - FG% 46.3 FG%
Oklahoma City - Reb 41.9 Reb
Phoenix - Reb 41.3 Reb