Rockets vs. Suns game preview: wait, this isn’t Baylor-Gonzaga

While most eyes tonight will be firmly on the Baylor-Gonzaga national championship game (a game featuring up to six first round picks), the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns will participate in a less-heralded contest at the Toyota Center.

The Suns sit in second place in the West with a record (34-14) that would be good enough for first in the East. As it stands, they are 3.5 games back of Utah for first and 2.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers in third. It’s safe to say that the momentum from their Bubble performance, coupled with the trade for Chris Paul, has put the Suns in the conversation for best team in the West.

While this game is the second night of a back-to-back for Houston, the Suns have been off for two days and should be well-rested and ready to go tonight. Phoenix has won five straight but the Clippers and Nuggets are surging behind them.

I’ll admit that I haven’t watched much of the Suns this season. I feel like a team this good should be on television more often. On paper, it seems like their bench might be an area of weakness when playoff time comes around. We’ll see.

Tip-off is at 7pm CT on AT&T SportsNet Southwest