Suns @ Hornets

Who will WIN this matchup?

Phoenix Suns (30-14)

@ Charlotte Hornets (23-21)

Current odds:

Phoenix Suns: (-240)

Charlotte Hornets: (+200)

• The line for this game is Suns by 6.5 points.

• The Charlotte Hornets haven’t given up hope that LaMelo Ball will play again this season. Ball, who ranks third on the Hornets in scoring (15.9 points) and leads the team in assists (6.1) and steals (1.6) per game, will be re-evaluated in four-to-five weeks. In the meantime, the Hornets have won the first three games their talented rookie has missed since fracturing his right wrist.

• Charlotte’s road is about to get tougher, however, starting with Sunday’s home game against the Phoenix Suns, which precedes a six-game road trip. The Hornets have won five in a row at home and will try to match their longest winning streak of the season against the Suns.

• Phoenix overcame a poor shooting performance down the stretch of Friday’s 104-100 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Suns didn’t make a field goal over the final three minutes and 50 seconds, but escaped with their fourth win in their past five after Mikal Bridges collected a key rebound with 7.3 seconds remaining that led to a pair of Devin Booker free throws to seal the win.

• Bridges finished with 11 points and seven rebounds against the Raptors while Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton each had 19 points. Paul and Booker combined to make four free throws over the final 42 seconds of the game as the Suns prevailed despite going 9-of-36 from 3-point range.

• Without Ball, the Hornets will need balanced efforts and other sources of offense to step up as Malik Monk did during a 110-105 win over the Miami Heat on Friday. Monk scored 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting off the Hornets bench. Monk also led the Hornets with 29 points when they beat Phoenix 124-121 in their first matchup on Feb. 24. Booker had 33 points to lead Phoenix in that game.

• The Hornets added more depth at point guard to help during Ball’s absence when they acquired Brad Wanamaker before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Charlotte traded their 2025 second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for Wanamaker and a 2022 second-round pick. Wanamaker is averaging 4.7 points and 2.5 assists in 16 minutes per game over 39 games this season.

• For Phoenix, Abel Nader missed his third consecutive game with a sore right knee.

• Charlotte’s P.J. Washington left the game against Miami in the second half with a leg contusion.