The No. 1 Spurs chase a ninth straight win tonight in Phoenix

The San Antonio Spurs take an eight-game winning streak to Phoenix tonight, and they arrive as the No. 1 team in the NBA's own power rankings. San Antonio (8-2) plays the Suns (3-5) at 9 p.m. ET at Mortgage Matchup Center, with the Spurs' local broadcast on DAZN and the Suns on Arizona's Family.

The league's Week 4 rankings, posted Monday, moved the Spurs from fourth to first and noted that they've ranked in the top three on both ends of the floor during the streak.

How the Spurs got here

San Antonio is scoring 118.4 points a game and allowing 108.1, and it out-rebounds opponents with 48.5 boards a night, the biggest number on either side tonight. Victor Wembanyama leads the team at 29.1 points and 12.0 rebounds. De'Aaron Fox leads in assists at 5.9. The Spurs have also won four straight on the road, per the AP preview.

They'll be short-handed. Devin Vassell (groin), Tobias Harris (calf) and Jayden Quaintance (knee) are out, per ESPN's injury report.

The Suns' side

Phoenix has won two in a row after a rough start and sits 12th in the West. Devin Booker leads the Suns at 25.2 points and 4.9 assists. Miles Bridges leads them on the glass at 8.1. Mark Williams (shoulder) and Jordan Goodwin (calf) are out, which leaves Phoenix thin up front against Wembanyama. The Suns are allowing 118.6 points a game.

DraftKings, via ESPN, lists San Antonio as an 8.5-point road favorite with a 226.5 total. ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Spurs about a 76% chance.

Why it matters

The Spurs are 8-2 for the second straight season, and the NBA noted their point differential is better than it was through 10 games last year. A ninth straight win keeps them at the front of a West where the top five teams all carry streaks of four games or longer. Phoenix needs a home win over a contender to climb back toward .500. The matchup to watch is Wembanyama against a Suns frontcourt missing Williams. If he controls the glass the way the season numbers suggest, Booker will need a big night just to keep it close.