San Antonio @ Phoenix preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 14, 2019 ) San Antonio 121, Phoenix 119

The Phoenix Suns aim for their first three-game winning streak in nearly three months when they begin a two-game homestand against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. After losing the opener of a three-game road trip at Atlanta, the Suns knocked off New York and Boston while averaging 122 points per victory.

Star guard Devin Booker scored 39 points to go along with 10 rebounds and nine assists in the 123-119 win over the Celtics on Saturday for the fourth win in five games for Phoenix. "You know, Book is - Book's Book," coach Monty Williams told reporters of Booker, who is averaging 31.9 points on 52.2 percent shooting this month. "It's something I don't take for granted to have a guy that can get buckets like that." Booker missed the first meeting with the Spurs - a 121-119 victory for San Antonio in Mexico City on Dec. 14 - but he'll be ready to go this time as Phoenix takes on a squad that knocked off Miami 107-102 on Sunday. LaMarcus Aldridge led a balanced attack with 21 points as the Spurs snapped a two-game slide.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southwest, FS Arizona

ABOUT THE SPURS (18-23): DeMar DeRozan finished Sunday's win with 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists as San Antonio bounced back from a brutal loss in which it blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter against Atlanta on Friday. "Defense. I think we just worked out defensively getting the job done together, which was the opposite of what we done in Miami (on Wednesday) and even last game (against) Atlanta," guard Patty Mills, who scored 18 points off the bench, told reporters of what made the difference. Forward Rudy Gay missed his second straight game with an illness and is day-to-day.

ABOUT THE SUNS (18-24): DeAndre Ayton was moved back into the starting lineup for the back-to-back victories and recorded 26 points in both games while totaling 36 rebounds. Mikal Bridges also had 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Saturday's victory, hitting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Dario Saric chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double, five shy of matching his career high.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. DeRozan shot 50 percent or better in 13 straight games before hitting on 43.8 percent of his attempts Sunday.

2. Booker is averaging 35.7 points while shooting 55 percent over his last three games.

3. Phoenix PG Ricky Rubio had 25 points and 13 assists in the meeting in Mexico City last month.

PREDICTION: Suns 117, Spurs 112