November 6, 2026 at 4:57 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisSurging Rockets Meet a Reeling Suns Defense in Phoenix
Houston's 7-2 start meets a Phoenix team searching for answers on defense.
This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.
The Rockets arrive in Phoenix at 7-2, while the Suns sit at 1-5 and are looking for any result that steadies their season. The record gap is large, and the underlying problems on the Phoenix side explain why it looks that lopsided.
The biggest issue is defense. Phoenix ranks last in defensive rating and is allowing 124.3 points per game, including 132 to Portland. Coach Jordan Ott has tied the slide partly to the absence of Mark Williams, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. With Jordan Goodwin (calf) and Rasheer Fleming (ankle) also out, the Suns have little depth to patch the gaps. Houston, playing well, should find the looks it wants against a defense that has struggled to get stops.
The frontcourt is the most uncertain area for both teams. Phoenix has already changed its starting five once, moving Oso Ighodaro in at center in place of Khaman Maluach, who had started every earlier game. A lineup shuffle this early points to a team still looking for the right combination. Houston has its own question marks, with Steven Adams out and Clint Capela questionable, so the Rockets may not have their usual size. That could keep the game closer than the records suggest.
Phoenix does have real offensive producers. Devin Booker scored 33 against Portland, and Miles Bridges has totaled 63 points, 23 rebounds, 10 assists, 7 steals and 4 blocks over his last three games. Jalen Green has also been productive. That firepower should keep the Suns in range for stretches at home.
Still, a defense this porous is hard to outscore night after night. Houston's better record, its steadier form and Phoenix's thin roster all point the same way. Expect the Suns to trade baskets for a while before the Rockets pull away late.
Prediction: Rockets 121, Suns 112.