Boston Celtics – December 2, 2017
For the next marquee game, the Phoenix Suns return to the TD Garden to face the Boston Celtics. In their first meeting with Boston last season, the Suns found themselves winning at the buzzer thanks to Tyler Ulis. The game also included one of the strangest jump-ball moments ever between Isaiah Thomas and Ulis. The second meeting between the Suns and Celtics, Devin Booker had a career night joining a prestige group of former NBA superstars. Booker cemented himself as a rising star by scoring the most points in a game since Kobe Bryant in 2006.
Along with Booker returning to Boston, picks in this past draft in Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum will also add intrigue to the match-up. Tatum was drafted before Jackson even after months of speculation that Jackson would be the first wing selected. Jackson and Tatum offer opposing skill sets as Jackson is an athletic defensive player while Tatum is a finesse offensive scorer. Both will be forever linked to each other as they each look to prove that they are the better selection.
Other Suns related items to this game includes the team going against former Suns Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Morris. Thomas was not too pleased with how Booker and the team celebrated Devin’s 70 points in a losing effort. Marcus Morris has no love for Phoenix after they traded him in 2015. Add in the fact that Josh Jackson refused to work out for the Celtics, the team should expect a hostile crowd when the Suns take the court in early December.