Playing to their namesake, the Phoenix Suns have been hot during the month of March. They have won 9 of their last 11 games entering Tuesday night's contest against the Miami Heat including two signature victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and a win over the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. Their recent hot streak has propelled the Suns to the brink of the playoff picture, as they are just half a game out of 8th place in the Western Conference. March, however, gave the Heat a rather lukewarm reception. The Heat have lost four during the month but are fresh off a dominating victory over the Orlando Magic. This marks the first meeting between the two teams this season.
The Suns have been anchored by Steve Nash's veteran play throughout the season. He leads the team and the NBA in assists per game, contributing 11.3 a contest. A big revelation for the Suns has been the play of Marcin Gortat, who came by way of the Orlando Magic just a season ago. Gortat is averaging 16 points a game and 10 rebounds.
The Suns are coming off a victory over the Houston Rockets, in a game that saw former potential Heat free agent Michael Redd exhibit the shooting prowess that made him a possibility to join the Heat during the summer. Redd connected on 10 of his 13 shots from the field and led all scorers with 25 points.
NBA Houston Rockets Vs Phoenix Suns Highlights (March 18, 2012) Game Recap (via NBAorbit)
Chris Bosh's play during the Miami Heat's recent victory of the Orlando Magic was inspiring to say the least. Bosh has 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists against Dwight Howard and company, and was able to lead the Heat to victory. Bosh looks to continue his strong play against a Suns team that ranks 19th in the league in points allowed per game.
Magic Vs Heat - Game Recap - (18-3-2012) (via FunkyAxel11)
The contest tips off at 7:30 PM at the American Airlines Arena. Check back here for a scintillating halftime update and post-game recap.