- The Phoenix Suns are back as second favorites to win the 2023 NBA title after the streaking Milwaukee Bucks overtook them following the All-Star break.
- Kevin Durant delivered in his Suns’ debut on Thursday, scoring 23 points on 10-15 shooting while grabbing 6 rebounds and blocking two shots.
- The Suns are 4th in the latest West Standings at 43-29 but are the +220 favorites to win the Conference.
After Kevin Durant’s debut on Thursday night, the Phoenix Suns are back as the second-best betting favorites to win the 2023 NBA title.
According to BetOnline, the Suns are back at +450 odds, behind only the Boston Celtics who are now at +300. The Milwaukee Bucks are third at +500 odds after hitting their shortest odds of the season at +430 before KD’s Suns’ debut.
Phoenix zoomed to the second spot after acquiring Durant at the trade deadline. But with Milwaukee extending its winning streak after the All-Star break, the Suns dropped to third at +480 odds last week.
The Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 139-117 on Thursday night to extend their winning streak to 16 games. But Durant’s successful Suns’ debut had more weight for the oddsmakers as they put Phoenix ahead of Milwaukee on their odds boards.
KD in his Suns debut:
– 23 PTS
– 6 REB
– 2 BLK
– 10/15 FG
– 26 MIN pic.twitter.com/mK4zMYimOu— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 2, 2023
KD Delivers in Suns Debut
Since he was traded to Phoenix at the deadline, Durant had been a fixture on the Suns’ bench while rehabbing the MCL injury that forced him out of action since January 9th. But on Thursday, KD finally played his first game as a member of the Suns, and it’s safe to say he delivered.
Durant scored 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point distance, while also grabbing six rebounds, issuing two assists, and tallying two blocked shots in just 27 minutes of action. KD cashed the over on his points (20.5) and rebounds (5.5) prop bets with his impressive performance.
The 2014 NBA MVP looked very comfortable on the court and did not show any lingering effects of the MCL sprain that sidelined him for seven weeks.
He made two three-pointers and a flurry of mid-range jump shots while also showing his explosiveness when he burst to the basket for a left-handed layup to score his first-ever points as a Suns player.
But more than watching the 34-year-old Durant play like he never missed a game; it was his seemingly seamless fit in the Suns’ rotation that looked more impressive.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 37 points. Deandre Ayton put up a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Chris Paul issued 11 assists. The Suns snapped the Charlotte Hornets’ five-game winning streak and won for the 7th time in their last 10 games played.
Suns Poised for a Strong Finish
Last season, the Suns were the first team to clinch a Playoff berth and finishing the regular season as the top seed in the entire 2022 NBA Playoffs. However, they were ambushed in Round 2 of the playoffs by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
This year, the Suns were off to a strong start but injuries forced them to struggle right up to the trade deadline. But after winning the KD sweepstakes, the Suns improved from +1800 to +500 heading into the All-Star break.
Still, there were reservations about the Suns because KD had not yet played a single game for them. Those doubts are gone now.
Phoenix has not won more than four consecutive games since the start of 2023 and their longest winning streak of the season was six games. But with the team’s key players all healthy right now, including Durant, and with plenty of games left to play in the regular season, the Suns are poised for a strong finish.
The Suns are currently 34-29 SU on the season and in 4th place in the Western Conference standings. Although they are 10 games behind the West’s top seeded Denver Nuggets, the Suns are just three games behind the 3rd seeded Sacramento Kings and only 5 games off the 2nd seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
@KDTrey5 is set to return tomorrow night vs the @hornets. Minute restriction, load management? But seriously does this make the @Suns the odds on favorite in the west who currently sit in 4th #KevinDurant #Suns #NBA #Big3 pic.twitter.com/87NptFM2Ji
— OutOfTheBoxSports (@OOTBOXSPORTS) February 28, 2023,
Phoenix Favored to Win the West
Despite having only, the 4th best record in the West, the Suns are the current +220 betting favorite to win the Western Conference at the online sportsbook Bet365 US. Interestingly, the Nuggets are just second at +375 odds, while the Grizzlies are 5th at +850 and the Kings are even further back at +5500.
Looking at Tankathon’s latest NBA Strength of Remaining Schedule, the rest of the regular season won’t be a walk in the park for the Suns. Phoenix has the 4th most difficult upcoming schedule with their remaining 19 opponents having a combined .522 winning percentage.
The Suns still have games against the Bucks, Clippers (2x), Warriors, Kings (2x), and Nuggets (2x) but right now, Phoenix looks formidable.
Meanwhile, the Kings have an even tougher remaining schedule with their final 21 opponents having an aggregate winning percentage of .523, including two games against the Suns who are chasing them in the standings.
The Grizzlies have the 5th easiest remaining schedule but they still have games against the Bucks, Nuggets, Heat, Warriors (2x), Clippers(3x), and Mavericks (3x).
Given this outlook, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Suns will finish higher in the Western Conference team standings when the regular season is done.
But with their title and conference odds now shorter than ever, there is also more pressure on them to deliver the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. However, if Durant can stay healthy, there’s no doubt this team can go all the way.
