Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns Preview: 3 key matchups to look out for | NBA 2020-2021
The Boston Celtics square off against the Phoenix Suns today at the Phoenix Suns Arena as NBA fans brace themselves for an evenly matched contest.
Both the teams have registered 12 wins and 9 losses leading up to this match. The Boston Celtics shocked the mighty LA Clippers away in their previous game, thanks to a solid performance from star player Jayson Tatum. The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, played minnows Detroit Pistons at home and registered a comfortable victory with stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul taking care of business as usual.
Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns- 3 key matchups to look out for
Both, the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns have somewhat had similar trajectories in the last 10 games. The Celtics have won 4 games while the Suns have won 5. However, Celtics will be without key player Marcus Smart who is out with a calf problem. The Boston Celtics possess enough firepower though and will be high on confidence after edging out the mighty LA Clippers without Jaylen Brown, who is likely to miss his 2nd consecutive game due to knee soreness.
Boston Celtics' Jason Taytum and Kemba Walker will be raring to go toe to toe against the likes Devin Booker and Chris Paul of the Suns. All of them have the potential to be match-winners for their team and have done exactly that in the last few games. Considering all these factors, these like for like matchups make it an ideal watch for the neutral fans as well with the game predicted to be a close encounter.
Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns Match Prediction: 3 key matchups to look out for
The battles within the battle can often decide these kind crunch enounters. Both teams' star players have performed really well this season and will be eager to test themselves against their counterparts. This article will take a close look at what the 3 key matchups will be between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns that will eventually decide the fate of this game.
#3 Tristan Thompson vs Deandre Ayton
The two big men are currently leading the stat sheet in terms of rebounds for their respective teams. Although Deandre Ayton has been averaging 13.9 ppg and 12.8 rpg for the Phoenix Suns compared to Tristan Thompson's 7.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg this season, it will still be a great matchup. The key factors being their abilities to be dominant inside the paint, especially on the attacking front.
Deandre Ayton has evidently been the better player this season but experience will be on Tristan Thompson's side as he's been in the league for 10 years compared to Ayton's 3. Ayton will be well aware of this factor and will look to dominate early on in the game by capitalising on his rich vein of form this season. The Boston Celtics camp will be hoping Thompson can use his experience to neutralise Ayton.
#2 Chris Paul vs Kemba Walker
These two All-Stars are one of the best in their position. The point guards however, have had contrasting seasons until now. While Chris Paul has been leading the Phoenix Suns alongside Booker, Kemba Walker has been deprived of game-time and crucial minutes due to injuries. Despite that, Walker was instrumental against the Clippers and even hit a late jumper to snatch the game away. It was his best performance of the season till now for the Boston Celtics. His ability to read the game well and come up clutch in big moments makes him a huge threat.
His counterpart though, is no rookie. Veteran Chris Paul, 35, has aged like fine wine and is averaging 16.4 points and a team-high 8.5 assists per game this season. He also happens to be the steals leader for the Phoenix Suns with 1.2 steals per game. Suns Head Coach Monty Williams will be hoping CP3 can use some of that skill, to neutralise Kemba Walker's threat in the decisive moments of the game.
#1 Jayson Tatum vs Devin Booker
The biggest matchup of this game is between these 2 young stars who are currently the alphas on their respective teams. Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker share many things in common, to list one such trait is their desire to be the best. They have done just that this season. They are also leading their respective teams in scoring charts with Tatum averaging 27.3 ppg for the Boston Celtics and Booker contributing 23.1 ppg for the Phoenix Suns.
The game without any doubt will be headlined by these 2 modern day superstars but only one will leave as the winner. Their respective coaches and teammates will be hoping they deliver the goods in this all important clash. Their ability to change the course of the match from any point is what separates Tatum and Booker from the rest of the players.
The battle of the alphas is arguably the most important matchup in this crucial fixture for the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns which will potentially decide the fate of this game.