Suns vs. Warriors lead epic day of hoops

If the Golden State Warriors want to return to the top of the Western Conference, one of the teams they will have to go through is the Phoenix Suns.

While the Warriors dealt with roster turnover and injuries and largely faded into the background in recent years, the Suns were the surprise Western Conference champions last season. They cruised through the postseason with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton leading the way, only to fall to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals.

Despite the Finals disappointment, that strong play from the Suns has carried over into the new season. Through 20 games, the Suns have a stellar 17-3 record and are currently in the midst of a 16-game winning streak that dates back to Oct. 27.

There’s only one team in the NBA with a better record: the 18-2 Warriors. The Warriors have a winning streak of their own, now up to seven.

But one of those streaks will come to an end Tuesday night when the Suns host the Warriors in Phoenix. The home Suns are the current favorites at BetMGM with the point spread currently listed at -1.5 and the total sitting at 222.5.

The Warriors have been the best ATS team in the NBA this year, going 15-4-1 against the number thus far. The Warriors have been underdogs just twice this season. They’ve won and covered the spread both times. Phoenix, meanwhile, is 11-9 ATS in 2021. The Suns have covered in just three of their last eight games, though one of them was on Saturday night as a 1.5-point road underdog in a 113-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

This is about as big as it gets when it comes to regular season NBA games in the first half of the season. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype.

What else is on the slate for Tuesday?

There are four other NBA games on the card and the city rivalry between the New…