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Suns Sneak Peek: Suns vs Nuggets

The Phoenix Suns host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Talking Stick Resort Arena, playing Denver for the third time this season.

SUNS VS NUGGETS HISTORY:

In the last meeting, the Suns nearly came back from a 25-point deficit as Deandre Ayton scored a career-high 33 points.

Ayton scored 24 points on 12-of-13 shooting in the second quarter of the last meeting vs. Denver, setting a Suns franchise record for most field goals in a quarter and a Suns rookie record for most points in a quarter.

The Suns hold the all-time record against the Nuggets with a 96-77 series lead.

HOLMES HOT STREAK:

Richaun Holmes has made 25 of his last 31 field goal attempts (80.6 percent) dating back to Dec. 28.

Throughout his last five games, Holmes is averaging 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks.

Holmes has two games this season with 15+ points, 3+ blocks and 3+ steals off the bench (Dec. 2, Jan. 4)—in the previous 35 years, Suns reserves had only recorded two such games combined (once each by Markieff Morris and Oliver Miller). Holmes is the first NBA player to do so multiple times off the bench in a season since Stromile Swift had two such games for Memphis in 2006-07. 

GENERATING TURNOVERS:

Over their last five games, the Suns are averaging 6.2 blocks per game, 2nd in the NBA of any team over their last five.

The Suns rank 2nd in the NBA with 9.19 steals per game, the team’s highest average since 2000-01 (9.45). 


De’Anthony Melton has multiple blocks and multiple steals in each of the last two games, the only NBA rookie this season to do so in consecutive games

Melton and Mikal Bridges rank one and two in rookie steals per game. They both have most steals per game by a Suns rookie since Ron Lee (1.90) in 1976-77. The last NBA team with two rookies averaging at least 1.3 steals per game was the 2001-02 Golden State Warriors (Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson).