3rd quarter report
The Celtics are on the road but don’t seem to be in any worse shape. They took an 87-78 lead against the Suns.
The Celtics came into the game with extra motivation after the loss they suffered the last time these two teams faced each other. We’ll see if they are able to flip the script or if it will just be more of the same.
Who’s playing
Boston Celtics @ Phoenix Suns
Current records: Boston 48-14, Phoenix 37-26
How to watch
- When: Saturday March 9, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Or: Imprint Center – Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: ABC
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $173.00
What there is to know
The Suns will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will face the Boston Celtics on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Suns have been dropping the ball more recently, as they have increased their point total in each of their last three games.
Last Thursday, Phoenix earned a 120-113 victory over the Raptors.
The Suns got their victory thanks to several key players, but it was Kevin Durant up front who scored 35 points. Grayson Allen was another key contributor, going 8 of 14 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points and 3 assists.
Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Celtics last Thursday, but the final result didn’t. They fell to Denver 115-109. This loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Celtics in their matchups against the Nuggets: they have now lost three in a row.
Despite the loss, the Celtics got a strong performance from Jaylen Brown, who had a double-double with 41 points and 14 rebounds. In fact, this is the most points Brown has scored all season.
Phoenix’s victory improved their record to 37-26. As for Boston, their loss dropped their record to 48-14.
Saturday’s contest is shaping up to be a shooting masterclass: The Suns simply can’t miss this season, shooting 49.4 percent per game (they’re ranked fourth in field goal percentage). . However, it’s not like the Celtics are struggling in this department as they have made 48.6% of their shots this season. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Suns managed to pull off a solid win against the Celtics in their previous matchup in February 2023, winning 106-94. Will the Suns repeat their success, or will the Celtics have a better game plan this time around? We’ll know soon enough.
Odds
Boston is a solid 5.5-point favorite against Phoenix, according to the latest NBA Odds.
The punters were perfectly in tune with the betting community on this point, as the game opened with a 5.5 point spread and stayed there.
The over/under is 226.5 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Phoenix and Boston both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- February 3, 2023 – Phoenix 106 vs. Boston 94
- December 7, 2022 – Boston 125 vs. Phoenix 98
- December 31, 2021 – Boston 123 vs. Phoenix 108
- December 10, 2021 – Phoenix 111 vs. Boston 90
- April 22, 2021 – Boston 99 vs. Phoenix 86
- February 7, 2021 – Phoenix 100 vs. Boston 91
- January 18, 2020 – Phoenix 123 vs. Boston 119
- November 18, 2019 – Boston 99 vs. Phoenix 85
- December 19, 2018 – Phoenix 111 vs. Boston 103
- November 8, 2018 – Boston 116 vs. Phoenix 109
