High-scoring Suns await Amare
Imagine where the Suns might be if Amare Stoudemire had been in the lineup to start the season.
The Suns? top scorer from last year had knee surgery in the off-season and is not expected to return to the team until March.
At this time last year, with Stoudemire in the lineup, the Suns were 31-9 SU. They ended up finishing with the best record in the NBA at 62-20.
Without Stoudemire, the Suns haven?t been as dominant, but they have hung tough. Through 40 games, the Suns lead the Pacific division with a 26-14 record (as of Tuesday).
Against the spread, the Suns have also been impressive having gone 23-17, which is the second-best ATS record in the league. Like most NBA fans, linesmakers weren?t expecting the Suns to fare as well as they have without Stoudemire.
Of course, the big reason for the Suns? success so far has been the outstanding play of reigning NBA MVP Steve Nash. The 6-foot-3 point guard leads the league in assists averaging 11.5 apg.
Among starters, Nash also leads the Suns in three-point percentage (41.6), free-throw percentage (93.8) and is second on the team in scoring (19 ppg).
?It?s hard to rest him and it?s hard to get him off the court,? Phoenix coach Mike D?Antoni told the LA Times. ?I just hope his lungs don't explode before we get back some help in Amare. We can't live without him.?
Nash hasn?t been alone on the floor. He?s surrounded by a pretty solid supporting cast, particularly Shawn Marion, who leads the team in scoring with 21.6 ppg and is third in the league in rebounds with 12 apg.
With Nash draining threes and dishing the ball off to open teammates like Marion, the Suns are lighting up the scoreboard. They currently lead the league in scoring, averaging more than 106 ppg.
On Sunday, the Suns lost a shootout with the SuperSonics, who are scoring the second-most points in the league. Seattle burned the Suns 152-149 in the highest-scoring game in 11 years.
Together, the two teams scored 32 three-pointers, the most treys ever in an NBA game.
Not surprisingly, the 301 points in that game easily topped the posted total of 217.5. Nevertheless, oddsmakers have factored in the Suns? penchant for scoring this year into most of their totals. The Suns are just 18-20-2 on the OVER/UNDER.
This Thursday, the Suns travel to Miami to take on the Heat in the first of TNT?s weekly doubleheader (8 p.m. ET).
Although the Heat lead the Southeast, they are the only team with a winning record in what is arguably the league?s weakest division. And that record is not all that impressive at 24-17 SU (20-21 ATS).
At this point last year, Miami was 29-12 en route to the second-best record in the NBA.
Despite last year?s success Miami president Pat Riley shook up the roster in the off-season, trading away Eddie Jones and adding players like Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and aging veteran Gary Payton.
Midway though the season it appears as though the team is finally starting to gel, albeit slowly. As of Tuesday, Miami had won five of their last seven games and recently had a four-game win streak.
Since the return of Shaquille O?Neal, who missed 18 games after getting injured in the second game of the season, the Heat has gone 14-7.
The return of O?Neal came one game before Riley took over the reins as coach, replacing Stan Van Gundy who resigned.
Miami has been particularly tough at home where they are 13-5 SU compared to 11-12 SU on the road. The Suns are 10-7 SU on the road.
Other notable game:
In the second game of TNT?s doubleheader, the Dallas Mavericks visit the Seattle SuperSonics (10:30 p.m. ET).
Like most of the Sonics? games this year, this should be a high-scoring contest. Seattle has the second-best scoring offense (102.1 ppg) and worst-ranked defense in the league (106.9). The Mavs have the NBA?s seventh-best scoring offense (99.7).
The Sonics have seen 28 of 40 games top the posted total this season - only the New York Knicks have had as many games go OVER.
Sitting fourth in the Northwest, Seattle has one of the worst records against the spread at 15-24-1. Dallas is 18-21-2 ATS and 20-19-2 on the O/U.
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Imagine where the Suns might be if Amare Stoudemire had been in the lineup to start the season.
The Suns? top scorer from last year had knee surgery in the off-season and is not expected to return to the team until March.
At this time last year, with Stoudemire in the lineup, the Suns were 31-9 SU. They ended up finishing with the best record in the NBA at 62-20.
Without Stoudemire, the Suns haven?t been as dominant, but they have hung tough. Through 40 games, the Suns lead the Pacific division with a 26-14 record (as of Tuesday).
Against the spread, the Suns have also been impressive having gone 23-17, which is the second-best ATS record in the league. Like most NBA fans, linesmakers weren?t expecting the Suns to fare as well as they have without Stoudemire.
Of course, the big reason for the Suns? success so far has been the outstanding play of reigning NBA MVP Steve Nash. The 6-foot-3 point guard leads the league in assists averaging 11.5 apg.
Among starters, Nash also leads the Suns in three-point percentage (41.6), free-throw percentage (93.8) and is second on the team in scoring (19 ppg).
?It?s hard to rest him and it?s hard to get him off the court,? Phoenix coach Mike D?Antoni told the LA Times. ?I just hope his lungs don't explode before we get back some help in Amare. We can't live without him.?
Nash hasn?t been alone on the floor. He?s surrounded by a pretty solid supporting cast, particularly Shawn Marion, who leads the team in scoring with 21.6 ppg and is third in the league in rebounds with 12 apg.
With Nash draining threes and dishing the ball off to open teammates like Marion, the Suns are lighting up the scoreboard. They currently lead the league in scoring, averaging more than 106 ppg.
On Sunday, the Suns lost a shootout with the SuperSonics, who are scoring the second-most points in the league. Seattle burned the Suns 152-149 in the highest-scoring game in 11 years.
Together, the two teams scored 32 three-pointers, the most treys ever in an NBA game.
Not surprisingly, the 301 points in that game easily topped the posted total of 217.5. Nevertheless, oddsmakers have factored in the Suns? penchant for scoring this year into most of their totals. The Suns are just 18-20-2 on the OVER/UNDER.
This Thursday, the Suns travel to Miami to take on the Heat in the first of TNT?s weekly doubleheader (8 p.m. ET).
Although the Heat lead the Southeast, they are the only team with a winning record in what is arguably the league?s weakest division. And that record is not all that impressive at 24-17 SU (20-21 ATS).
At this point last year, Miami was 29-12 en route to the second-best record in the NBA.
Despite last year?s success Miami president Pat Riley shook up the roster in the off-season, trading away Eddie Jones and adding players like Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and aging veteran Gary Payton.
Midway though the season it appears as though the team is finally starting to gel, albeit slowly. As of Tuesday, Miami had won five of their last seven games and recently had a four-game win streak.
Since the return of Shaquille O?Neal, who missed 18 games after getting injured in the second game of the season, the Heat has gone 14-7.
The return of O?Neal came one game before Riley took over the reins as coach, replacing Stan Van Gundy who resigned.
Miami has been particularly tough at home where they are 13-5 SU compared to 11-12 SU on the road. The Suns are 10-7 SU on the road.
Other notable game:
In the second game of TNT?s doubleheader, the Dallas Mavericks visit the Seattle SuperSonics (10:30 p.m. ET).
Like most of the Sonics? games this year, this should be a high-scoring contest. Seattle has the second-best scoring offense (102.1 ppg) and worst-ranked defense in the league (106.9). The Mavs have the NBA?s seventh-best scoring offense (99.7).
The Sonics have seen 28 of 40 games top the posted total this season - only the New York Knicks have had as many games go OVER.
Sitting fourth in the Northwest, Seattle has one of the worst records against the spread at 15-24-1. Dallas is 18-21-2 ATS and 20-19-2 on the O/U.
BetWWTS.com
