Game: Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Odds: Suns +3, Warriors -3
Total: 233
When the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors tip off their 2023–24 seasons at the Chase Center in San Francisco tonight, Kevin Durant will make history as he enters his 17th season. The Suns and Warriors will be featured on TNT immediately after the NBA season opener between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are set to receive their 2023 championship rings. Both teams will be starting their quest to unseat the reigning champions.
The Suns and Warriors, who were seeds No. 4 and No. 6 in the Western Conference playoffs last season, saw their chances of winning the title end in the conference semifinals. The Suns lost to the Nuggets in six games and the Warriors lost to the Lakers in six.
Durant gets a chance to perform in front of the fans he thrilled for three seasons while leading Golden State to championships in 2017 and 2018. He eventually left the Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets, and since that time, he has only made one trip back to the San Francisco Bay Area. That was in February 2021, when Chase Center games were being held elsewhere due to COVID-19 precautions. Since joining the Suns in February as part of a historic four-team trade, he has never faced the Warriors anywhere.
Draymond Green, the defensive ace for Golden State, won’t be on the court to face Durant. Green was ruled out of the season opener on Monday after missing the entire preseason due to a sprained left ankle.
Durant will have Devin Booker and Bradley Beal with him to give Phoenix some serious offensive firepower. Beal was obtained in the offseason from Washington. Beal has a career average of 22.1 points per game.
Durant and veteran guard Chris Paul were last seen working together in Phoenix. Paul, however, is set to make his Warriors regular-season debut tonight after two offseason trades. Throughout their careers, Golden State star Stephen Curry, Durant, and Paul have all consistently been outstanding on Opening Night. In his last 12 appearances on Opening Night, Durant has scored 20 points or more, tying Karl Malone for the NBA’s longest streak.
Curry will be aiming for his tenth consecutive 20-point opening. If successful, he would tie Bob Lanier and Kobe Bryant for fifth place on that list, with only Michael Jordan and Paul Pierce ahead of him. Paul will try to record his ninth Opening Night double-double in the meantime. Tim Duncan, who retired with 14, has the most among active players, with only LeBron James having more (10).
Phoenix has won four of the last five games against Golden State. Three of the four victories were by double-digits, including a 29-point shellacking by the Suns in October of last season. Phoenix has only covered in one of the last six games against the Warriors played at Golden State. The Warriors finished last season with 16 wins in their last 19 games at home.
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