Bridges has stepped into a primary scoring role and made it look natural.
By the time Tuesday night tips off at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, the Suns and Hornets will arrive carrying very different kinds of momentum — one team clawing back toward respectability, the other still searching for solid ground.
Phoenix enters the January 24th matchup at exactly .500, sitting 24-24 on the season after stringing together three consecutive wins. At home, the Suns have been considerably more reliable, going 17-7 inside their own building. The most recent win came Sunday against Memphis — a tight 112-110 escape that required every point the Suns could muster.
The man doing much of the heavy lifting has been Mikal Bridges. With Devin Booker sidelined by a groin injury and Deandre Ayton missing time due to illness, Bridges has stepped into a primary scoring role and made it look natural. He has reached the 20-point mark in six of his last seven games, averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across that stretch. Against Memphis, he finished with 24. Chris Paul added a double-double — 22 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds — and Torrey Craig chipped in 20 more. The Suns are winning ugly, but they are winning.
Charlotte's situation is considerably more complicated. The Hornets are 13-35 overall and own the third-worst record in the league. On the road, they are 8-19. Monday brought another setback — a 120-102 loss to the Utah Jazz — despite Mason Plumlee posting 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Terry Rozier contributing 23 points. The margin was not close.
The larger problem for Charlotte is LaMelo Ball, or rather his absence. Ball has already missed 26 games this season with an ankle injury and was not available against Utah. He is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game in Phoenix. The numbers around his availability tell a stark story: the Hornets are 7-19 without him and 6-16 when he has played. Neither figure is encouraging, but the gap between them underscores how much the team's identity depends on a 21-year-old who cannot stay healthy.
Caesars Sportsbook has set Phoenix as a 6.5-point favorite, with a money line of -260 for the Suns and +210 for Charlotte. The over/under sits at 227 points. In recent head-to-head history, Phoenix has won the last three straight-up meetings, though Charlotte has covered the spread in three of the last five matchups — a small but notable wrinkle for anyone watching the line.
The predictive model at SportsLine, which runs 10,000 simulations of each game and has posted a 47-22 record on top-rated NBA picks this season, is leaning toward the over and has identified a spread outcome that emerges in nearly 60 percent of its simulations. The specific pick sits behind a paywall, but the directional signals are clear enough: Phoenix at home, with its offense finding rhythm through Bridges, is expected to put up points.
The variable that could reshape the evening is Ball's status. If he suits up, Charlotte becomes a different team — not a good one by the standings, but a more dangerous and unpredictable one. If he sits, the Hornets will likely be relying on Rozier and Plumlee to manufacture enough offense to stay competitive against a Suns team that has found its footing at just the right moment.
Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. Eastern. Ball's availability, confirmed or denied in the hours before the game, will be the number to watch.
Notable Quotes
The model has posted a 47-22 record on top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,200 for $100 bettors.— SportsLine projection model summary
Charlotte is 7-19 without Ball and 6-16 when he has been in the lineup.— Season record breakdown via CBS Sports
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What's the actual story here — is this about the Suns recovering, or the Hornets falling apart?
Both, really, but they're on different timelines. The Suns are in the middle of a correction. The Hornets are in the middle of a collapse.
How much of Phoenix's recent run is Mikal Bridges versus just the schedule breaking right?
Bridges is genuinely carrying them. Six 20-point games in seven tries, with Booker and Ayton both out — that's not a soft schedule doing the work.
The Hornets' record with and without LaMelo is almost equally bad. What does that tell you?
It tells you the roster around him isn't built to win either way. He makes them more interesting, not necessarily better.
Charlotte covered the spread in three of the last five against Phoenix. Does that matter tonight?
It's a data point worth holding lightly. Covering a spread and winning a game are different things, and Charlotte's situation has deteriorated since those matchups.
The over/under is 227. Is that high given both teams have injury concerns?
The Suns have been scoring through Bridges and Paul even shorthanded. If Ball sits and Charlotte plays loose defense, points could come easily for Phoenix.
What's the version of this game where Charlotte keeps it close?
Ball plays, hits a few pull-up threes early, and Rozier gets going alongside him. The Suns would need to adjust, and adjustments take time.
Is there a broader arc to watch here beyond just Tuesday night?
The Suns need to figure out their identity before the playoffs. This stretch without Booker is either building something or masking a deeper problem.