Cleveland Cavaliers at Phoenix Suns
Matchup preview
Last season: too early in this one to read much from it
Matchup odds
No moneylines yet.
Who wins?
Season leaders, per game
PHX
CLE27.9PointsPHX26.1
CLE9.0ReboundsPHX8.0
CLE8.0AssistsPHX6.0
CLE1.5StealsPHX1.5
CLE1.7BlocksPHX0.9
| CLE | Stat | PHX |
|---|---|---|
| 52–30 | Record | 45–37 |
| Offense | ||
| 4.0(better), 9th in the league | Net rating | 15th in the league, 1.5 |
| 117.0(better), 5th in the league | Offensive rating | 16th in the league, 113.1 |
| 101.8, 13th in the league | Pace | 23rd in the league, 99.2 |
| 56.1(better), 4th in the league | eFG% | 19th in the league, 53.7 |
| 11.7(better), 9th in the league | TOV% | 12th in the league, 12.0 |
| 26.9, 9th in the league | OREB% | 7th in the league, 28.9(better) |
| 0.265(better), 15th in the league | FT rate | 28th in the league, 0.225 |
| Defense | ||
| 112.9, 15th in the league | Defensive rating | 9th in the league, 111.6(better) |
| 54.3, 14th in the league | Opp. eFG% | 10th in the league, 54.1(better) |
| 12.5, 13th in the league | Opp. TOV% | 3rd in the league, 13.9(better) |
| 74.4(better), 11th in the league | DREB% | 27th in the league, 71.9 |
| 0.263(better), 16th in the league | Opp. FT rate | 22nd in the league, 0.276 |
This season's meetings
They have not met this season.
Injury report
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Peyton WatsonProbable· back Oct 1Cost -2.3 per 100
Report note
Watson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting five immediately but will have the chance to compete for it during training camp. The 24-year-old forward figures to play a sizable role for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets in August in a multi-team deal. Watson was limited to just 54 regular-season appearances (40 starts) in 2025-26 due in large part to a strained hamstring, though he impressed when healthy, averaging career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1) and steals (0.9) while chipping in 1.1 blocks per game and shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility will be key for a Cleveland team trying to reach the Finals for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. However, his growth on the offensive end will also be crucial to achieving that objective. Watson is one of the top candidates to join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, but Atkinson isn't ready to commit to that idea just yet, as the Cavaliers have other options like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.
Phoenix Suns
- Mark WilliamsOut· back Feb 1Cost -1.5 per 100
Report note
This is a tough blow for the center with training camp right around the corner. With his status for Opening Night in jeopardy, this will put a lot of eyes on Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, with the latter already drawing buzz during the Summer League. More clarity on Williams' timeline should be known in the coming weeks.
- Duop ReathQuestionable· back Oct 1Cost -0.2 per 100
Report note
With Mark Williams (shoulder) expected to miss around five months, Reath figures to compete for playing time with Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro. Reath's 2025-26 campaign was cut short after he underwent right foot surgery in late January, and it's unclear if he'll be at full strength for training camp. Across 32 regular-season appearances for the Trail Blazers in 2025-26, he averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 rebounds across 8.1 minutes per contest.
- CJ HuntleyQuestionable· back Oct 1
Report note
Huntley will miss Phoenix's final three games in Las Vegas. He'll have plenty of time to rest up before training camp opens up in September.
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Last 5 | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.9 | 23.6 | 4.8 | 8.0 | 21.0 / 2.2 / 4.8 | 1.7 | |
| 33.5 | 27.9 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 27.6 / 4.8 / 4.8 | 4.3 | |
| 31.9 | 18.2 | 9.0 | 3.6 | 14.8 / 9.0 / 3.4 | 2.6 | |
| 29.6 | 14.6 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 11.6 / 4.8 / 3.0 | 1.6 | |
| 27.2 | 15.4 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 16.2 / 8.8 / 0.6 | 3.4 |
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Last 5 | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.5 | 26.1 | 3.9 | 6.0 | 30.8 / 4.0 / 6.8 | 3.2 | |
| 31.0 | 17.1 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 14.8 / 7.0 / 3.4 | -0.4 | |
| 30.4 | 20.2 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 15.6 / 3.0 / 2.2 | -0.1 | |
| 28.5 | 12.7 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 6.6 / 3.8 / 2.2 | 3.0 | |
| 25.8 | 17.8 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 14.6 / 2.6 / 2.8 | -0.5 |
Last five games
| Date | Opponent | Result | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | Lost 93–130 | – | – | |
| May 23 | Lost 108–121 | – | – | |
| May 21 | Lost 93–109 | – | – | |
| May 19 | Lost 104–115 | – | – | |
| May 17 | Won 125–94 | – | – |
| Date | Opponent | Result | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27 | Lost 122–131 | – | – | |
| Apr 25 | Lost 109–121 | – | – | |
| Apr 22 | Lost 107–120 | – | – | |
| Apr 19 | Lost 84–119 | – | – | |
| Apr 17 | Won 111–96 | – | – |
Standings
Full standingsMatchups by position
What each defense allows per game to guards, forwards and centers, against the league average. Rank 1 allows the most.
| Player | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guards | 46.5 (lg 49.8) , 27th in the league | 13.2 (lg 13.6) , 19th in the league | 12.4 (lg 14.2) , 30th in the league |
| Forwards | 35.3 (lg 37.4) , 24th in the league | 15.3 (lg 15.3) , 14th in the league | 6.5 (lg 7.0) , 25th in the league |
| Centers | 11.4 (lg 10.7) , 10th in the league | 8.9 (lg 7.5) , 1st in the league | 2.5 (lg 1.9) , 4th in the league |
| Player | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guards | 47.6 (lg 49.8) , 24th in the league | 12.9 (lg 13.6) , 25th in the league | 14.2 (lg 14.2) , 17th in the league |
| Forwards | 39.4 (lg 37.4) , 5th in the league | 15.7 (lg 15.3) , 9th in the league | 7.2 (lg 7.0) , 14th in the league |
| Centers | 9.4 (lg 10.7) , 25th in the league | 7.5 (lg 7.5) , 16th in the league | 1.7 (lg 1.9) , 20th in the league |
The box score appears at tip-off.