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Suns return home to face Sixers

Jan 2, 2015 - 2:58 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Phoenix Suns are back home for two straight games and will welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to town Friday at US Airways Center.

The Suns will also host the Toronto Raptors in the desert and are 7-7 at home this season.

Phoenix went 2-2 on a recent road trip and has lost back-to-back games following a six-game winning streak. In a 137-134 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on New Year's Eve, Thunder star and reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant pumped in a season-high 44 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Eric Bledsoe scored a season-high 29 points with eight assists for the Suns, while Markieff Morris and Goran Dragic had 25 and 21 points, respectively. OKC had a modest 9-6 scoring advantage in overtime.

"We did a decent job defensively in overtime, we just didn't score," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Marcus Morris scored 18 points and Gerald Green ended with 14 in defeat.

Dragic is averaging 20.1 points in his last 15 games for Phoenix, which scored a season high in points against the Thunder and lost for the first time when making 50 percent or better under Hornacek. The Suns are 29-1 when scoring 50 percent or higher under the coach.

The 76ers are nearing an end to their seven-game road trip (2-3) and will close it out Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers. They are 4-12 on the road this season.

Philadelphia dropped its third straight game with Tuesday's embarrassing 126-86 loss to the NBA-best Golden State Warriors, as Henry Sims scored 19 points and Robert Covington added 10. Tony Wroten and Malcolm Thomas scored 10 points apiece for the Sixers, who shot 38.4 percent and allowed 30 or more points in three of the four quarters.

Golden State led by as many as 47 in the final quarter and shot 56.1 percent from the floor. It also scored 43 points on 28 Philadelphia turnovers.

"You could see some things we did well based on how we practiced," said Sixers coach Brett Brown.

The 76ers, who lead the NBA with 17.0 turnovers, have failed to score 100 points in each of the last seven games and are last in the NBA with 90.6 ppg.

Sixers forward Luc Mbah a Moute is probable against Phoenix with a strained calf.

Philadelphia suffered a 122-96 loss to Phoenix at home on Nov. 21, as Suns reserve Isaiah Thomas scored a game-high 23 points. Michael Carter-Williams and K.J. McDaniels scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, in that defeat for the 76ers, who have lost the last four games in this series.

The Suns and 76ers have split the past four games in the Valley of the Sun.

Carter-Williams is averaging 22.3 ppg in three meetings with Phoenix.