Despite winning only two of their six games this month, the Phoenix Suns (13-11) have been playing better defense statistically. They jumped from a bottom-third defensive rating in November to a 13th-best in December. And with their big three (Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal) finally playing together this week, an already potent offense was poised to become even more explosive. If only they could stay healthy. . . .
On Friday, the New York Knicks (13-10) visited the Footprint Center for their second, and final, regular season game against the Suns. The Knicks dropped their late November matchup by three.