Prediction: Houston Rockets VS Phoenix Suns 2025-11-24
Phoenix Suns vs. Houston Rockets: A Tale of Absences and Annoyances
The Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets collide on Monday, November 24, 2025, in a game thatâs equal parts basketball and family drama. Kevin Durant, the former Sun now traded to Houston, returns to Phoenix for a matchup heâll miss entirely due to âfamily reasonsâ (read: probably not celebrating his absence). The Suns, meanwhile, have Devin Booker, whoâs been scoring 22+ points per game since before the iPhone 12, to lead their charge. Letâs break this down with the precision of a stat head and the humor of a Twitter thread after a bad trade deadline.
Parsing the Odds: Whoâs the Real Star Here?
The Rockets are favored by -6.5 on the spread, with moneyline odds hovering around 1.4 for Houston and 3.05 for Phoenix (per DraftKings). Converting those decimal odds to implied probabilities:
- Houston: 1 / 1.4 â 71.4% chance to win.
- Phoenix: 1 / 3.05 â 32.8% chance to win.
Thatâs a huge gap, but context matters. The Rockets boast the NBAâs 3rd-best offense (122.9 PPG) and a +10.4 point differential. The Suns, meanwhile, rank 12th in scoring (118.5 PPG) but 6th in defense (113.3 PPG allowed). So Houstonâs offense vs. Phoenixâs defense? Itâs like bringing a flamethrower to a ping-pong tournament.
Digesting the News: Injuries, Rookies, and Family Emergencies
Houstonâs Absences:
- Kevin Durant: Out for the game. Imagine trading your star player and then immediately needing him to explain the new system. Not here, Kevin.
- Reed Sheppard, the rookie point guard, steps in. Heâs averaging 13.6 PPG and shot 48.8% from three. Think of him as a caffeinated squirrelâhyper, scrappy, and occasionally on fire (see: his 27-point outburst vs. Denver).
- Injuries: The Rockets are missing 5 players, including Fred VanVleet (ACL) and Steven Adams (ankle). Their depth? Thinner than a Netflix password.
Phoenixâs Absences:
- Jalen Green (traded for Durant) and Grayson Allen (quad) are out. The Suns are also missing four players, including Dillon Brooks (whoâs been their emotional leader since returning from injury).
- Devin Booker is the lone All-Star left standing, averaging 27.1 PPG. Heâs like the last functioning printer in an office fireâstressed but reliable.
Humorous Spin: The Theater of the Absurd
- Kevin Durantâs Return: Heâll face boos in Phoenix, but honestly, fans are just confused. âWait, wasnât he our guy last week? Why is he your guy now? Did we all forget the draft?â
- Reed Sheppard: The rookie is starting because the Rockets have no choices. Imagine thrusting a college student into a Shark Tank episode. âHereâs $50 and a box of rubber ducks. Build me a submarine.â
- Sunsâ Defense: Ranking 6th in the league, their defense is like a spam filterâgood at blocking junk but still letting through that one sketchy email from âPrince Nwabudike.â
- Booker vs. the Field: Devin Booker is the Sunsâ golden goose, but his 7.1 APG makes him a playmaker too. Heâs like a Swiss Army knife in a world of butter knives.
Prediction: Who Wins This Mess?
The Rocketsâ offense is a rocket (obviously), and without Durantâs scoring, theyâre still firing on 4.5 cylinders. Reed Sheppardâs 48.8% three-point shooting could ice this game, but Phoenixâs defense might suffocate Houstonâs role players. However, the spread (-6.5) favors Houston, and their implied probability (71.4%) suggests theyâre the safer bet.
But hereâs the twist: Phoenixâs home-court advantage and the Sunsâ recent three-game winning streak add chaos. Bookerâs consistency (22+ PPG for 11 straight seasons) could outlast Houstonâs injury-riddled rotation.
Final Verdict: Take the Houston Rockets to cover the spread (-6.5), but if youâre feeling spicy, back the Suns for an upset. After all, basketballâs a funny gameâask the guy who tripped over his own shoelaces and got traded.
Stream the chaos on Peacock, and if you miss the TV experience, just imagine a narrator yelling, âTHIS IS THE NBA, PEOPLE!â đđ„
Created: Nov. 24, 2025, 2:41 p.m. GMT