PREVIEW: Suns Face Nuggets in Christmas Day Tune-Up

The Phoenix Suns will be short-handed once again tonight - can they reign victorious?

Mar 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) attempts a shot against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The last week has undone progress that the Phoenix Suns (14-13) had previously made - and they will look to break out of a mini-slump against the Denver Nuggets (15-11) before the two squads will square off once again on Christmas night.

The Suns' struggles to consistently gain ground were highlighted by defensive blunders - as they ceded 120 points to the Indiana Pacers and 133 to the Detroit Pistons in the past week.

The offense hasn't been an issue per se, but Devin Booker being out could end up being a factor - as Denver's offense has been even better compared to Phoenix as of late.

A brief preview of the matchup ahead below:

Nuggets: Treading Water Despite Jokic's Efforts

The Nuggets have been playing better basketball of late - having won four of their last six since December 7.

However, those pair of losses came at the hands of the Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers - which quite possibly signifies the propensity to be an inconsistent squad.

This is despite the Herculean effort from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic - who very well could be the first player since Russell Westbrook to average a triple-double over the course of this season.

At the end of the day, the Nuggets are sitting in a fairly congruent situation as compared to the Suns - a phenomenal offense that is matched with a subpar defense.

That could lead to a very compelling back-and-forth match tonight.

Player to Watch: Julian Strawther

In a year in which questions surrounding Denver's depth reached an all-time fever pitch, the talented second-year product out of Gonzaga has stepped up.

Julian Strawther (13 points, 4-7, game high +18) has been integral to the Nuggets' comeback. He's a poor defender and his sporadic minutes have been shaky, but the guy can shoot and moves well off of Nikola Jokic.pic.twitter.com/793pYivICq

— Hot Hand Theory (@HotHandTheory) December 23, 2024

Strawther has been a spark plug off of the bench alongside Russell Westbrook - to the point of 10.8 PPG on 38.5% from behind the arc in December.

The defense is certainly a concern, but he has done more than his part in terms of providing supplementary scoring next to the starting five - and subduing the supporting cast around Jokic should be of paramount importance.

Key to Game: Get Stops!

This point has teetered along the lines of cliche - but it remains entirely valid.

The return of Kevin Durant to the lineup alongside Ryan Dunn, Royce O'Neale and Oso Ighodaro SHOULD give the Suns a nice array of strong athletes/high IQ defenders that are capable of slowing down the Nuggets' supporting cast.

Most teams - with the exception of last season's Minnesota Timberwolves - just don't have the means to rely on slowing down Jokic consistently enough to feel good about stealing a game.

Nikola Jokić & Jamal Murray brought their 1-2 punch to New Orleans for an OT win!

Nikola: 27 PTS, 13 REB, 10 AST
Jamal: 27 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL

The pair combined for 25 of their 54 PTS in the 4Q and OT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bs3nQ1GUGs

— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2024

Jokic is simply on a different level all-around - from footwork, to finishing ability, even down to a 50% three-point clip this season. It will be incredibly difficult to slow him down - even if Jusuf Nurkic typically fares well in this specific matchup.

At the end of the day, Mike Budenholzer must find rotations that can work within the context of both sides of the floor - and the personnel must garner key stops in what will likely be another close game.

Suns-Nuggets is set to tip off shortly after 8 P.M. AZ Time.