How to watch Knicks vs. Suns: Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson duel in Phoenix

The New York Knicks are still figuring out their defense, to the righteous fury of noted defense-lover Tom Thibodeau. But this team sure can get buckets. New York is second in effective field goal and true shooting percentages. The team is sixth in points per game despite ranking last in pace. And they’re converting 44 percent of shots 25 feet or further, the best mark in the NBA. The 8-6 Knicks take on a 9-6 Phoenix Suns squad that is reeling sans Kevin Durant (calf). How to watch New York Knicks at Phoenix Suns Venue: Footprint Center — Phoenix Time: 10 p.m. ET, Wednesday TV: ESPN Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub With Durant, the Suns opened the season winning eight of their first nine games. In the six games without their all-world wing, they’ve lost five times and are 27th in shooting efficiency. Just in the past seven days, they were throttled by the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, took a buzzer-beating loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and endured a deflating home stumble to the Paolo Banchero-less Orlando Magic. Phoenix still boasts top-end talent and should be motivated to quell the storm against a high-profile opponent. Devin Booker is 11-5 all-time against the Knicks. Less than a year ago, he buried a fadeaway 3-pointer to steal a win at Madison Square Garden. Both Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkić (ankle) carry injury designations for Phoenix, while New York sixth-man Miles McBride is battling knee inflammation. The muddied bill of health puts a damper on this game. That said, Karl-Anthony Towns (26.2 points per game) and Jalen Brunson (24.4) comprise one of the sport’s coolest inside-out duos. Mikal Bridges gets to go against the team that drafted him. And on the other side, Tyus Jones is a paradigm of professional point guard play, with an assist-to-turnover ratio hovering around 7-to-1. This is a big matchup for hoop heads partial to orange. Somehow, the Knicks, Suns and Thunder are the only three teams using the same color as the ball they play with. If there were a rivalry trophy, it would be: The Stephon Marbury-Steve Nash Sliding Door — in sending “Starbury” and Penny Hardaway to New York in January 2004, Phoenix shed massive salary obligations and was thus able to sign Nash in the offseason. The result forever changed pro basketball, with Nash and his “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns cementing a stylistic revolution around fast, perimeter-centric offense. • The Suns have hit one against the Knicks — Cameron Johnson (2022, 31-foot 3-pointer) • The Knicks have hit two against the Suns — John Starks (1997, 23-foot 3-pointer) and J.R. Smith (2012, 21-footer) Starting five of players to wear both jerseys (minimum 50 games): ‘Inside the NBA’ to continue on ABC and ESPN as part of TNT-NBA settlement Without Nikola Jokić, the Denver Nuggets have looked alarmingly helpless