The Phoenix Suns have opened up a gap in the competition for best record in the NBA with just 25 games remaining.
Phoenix will attempt to take another step forward on Wednesday night when it hosts the downtrodden Houston Rockets in its final contest before the All-Star break.
The Suns (47-10) have won six straight games and 17 of their past 18 to build a 5 1/2-game lead over the Golden State Warriors in the battle for homecourt advantage throughout the postseason.
Phoenix fought off the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday with a 103-96 home win. Devin Booker scored 26 points and Chris Paul added 17 points and 14 assists.
Paul has registered nine double-doubles in the past 10 contests. He fell one assist shy against the Washington Wizards on Feb. 5 for the lone miss during the span.
The 36-year-old veteran is averaging 13.9 assists during the stretch to increase his league-leading average to 10.8 per game. He has posted 31 double-doubles.
“We try to stay true to who we are and play within our system,” Paul said during a postgame television interview. “Sharing the ball, the open shot is the best shot. That’s the way we play every night no matter who is in the lineup.”
Booker and Paul received help from Mikal Bridges, who had 19 points and nine rebounds.
Bridges is averaging 19.6 points over the past 10 games and has topped 20 four times during that span. However, he was more impressed with his club’s defense on a night when Clippers starting guards Reggie Jackson (7 of 26) and Terance Mann (1 of 6) made just 25 percent of their field-goal attempts.
“We play for each other,” Bridges said. “We have a lot of guys who can guard. We guard together and we stay with it for the whole 48 (minutes).”
The Suns are looking to defeat Houston for the seventh straight time. Their success follows a stretch in which the James Harden-era Rockets won 13 straight games in the series.
Booker averaged 26.5 points in two victories over Houston earlier this season. The Suns notched a 123-111 home win over the Rockets on Nov. 4 and rolled to a 115-89 victory in Houston on Nov. 14.
The Western Conference-worst Rockets (15-41) have lost nine of their past 10 entering this matchup. Their lone victory during the stretch was a 115-104 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 2.
During the current five-game slide, Houston has allowed more than 130 points three times and given up an average of 127.
The Rockets were crushed 135-101 by the Utah Jazz on Monday in Salt Lake City. Houston never led and was outrebounded 53-33.
“A good team like that will punish you,” veteran Houston guard Eric Gordon said. “We just didn’t play our game. We were just out there.”
Kenyon Martin Jr. scored 16 points off the bench as one of five Rockets who scored in double digits.
Dennis Schroder, who was acquired from the Boston Celtics at the trade deadline, made his team debut and had four points and five assists in 18 minutes off the bench.
“We just got to be connected more, defensive side and offensive side as well. We got to do it together,” Schroder said. “I think when we get on the same page and sacrifice for each other, I think we’re going to make the next step.”
Guard Kevin Porter Jr. had just eight points against Utah after averaging 28.5 over the previous two games. He was 13 of 21 from 3-point range during the two-game roll.
Houston will visit the Clippers on Thursday in its final game before the break.
–Field Level Media