The Kevin Durant-led Suns are one of the most renowned franchises in the league, owing to its achievements down the line. In the current season, the Phoenix Suns have been amassing some great wins, but an in-season recent loss to the Los Angeles Lakers saw their exit from the tournament.
After the heartbreak, a fierce regular season encounter with the Sacramento Kings awaits the Suns. But the team reportedly has a list of game-changing players on injury, which could lead to another defeat for the Suns.
Kevin Durant joins injury list for Suns
The Phoenix Suns going against the Sacramento Kings, will be missing a bunch of top stars, with Kevin Durant recently added to the list. Per reports, Durant is ruled out of the encounter, owing to his left ankle sprain.
Aside from KD, stars like Grayson Allen are also ruled out, owing to a right groin strain. Bradley Beal is also sidelined due to a low back strain, and Damion Lee is out due to right meniscus surgery.
Kevin Durant will be missing his third game against the Kings, as he previously missed a 24 November matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies and a 26 November game against the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Suns clinched victories in both games that KD missed, in which Devin Booker and Eric Gordon both took over the offense duty effectively. Keita Bates-Diop earned more on-court minutes in KD’s absence.
Durant, whenever healthy, achieves top-level outputs. KD is achieving 31 points per outing, which is the third-best in the entire league. Also, he has been useful in other areas on the court, including being second in rebounding (6.5), assists (5.7) and blocks (1.2).
The Suns’ fans will be expecting Bates-Diop to play more minutes as KD is still sidelined, and Nassir Little and Josh Okogie are also tipped to improve their performances.
Suns brace for Sacramento matchup
Unfortunately, both the Suns and Kings were recently eliminated by the Lakers and Pelicans respectively, in the quarterfinals of the In-season. The Suns fell 106-103 to the Lakers, while the Kings lost 117-127 to the Pelicans.
The Suns have lost three of their last four games and will be missing top stars like Bradley Beal, who has only played three games for his new team, due to a back injury.
The Suns have been eager to combine Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal on the court, at the same time, which could be lethal for the opponents. Meanwhile, the Suns will have to improvise a way of overcoming rebounding issues and defend much better near the basket. In the Lakers’ defeat, the Suns allowed 54 points in the paint, while the Lakers achieved a season-high 21 offensive rebounds.
Furthermore, the Suns have faced defeats in their last two meetings with the Kings. They lost 119-128 at the Footprint Center and then 127-135 at the Golden 1 Center.
The Suns’ home statistics going into the matchup perhaps look promising, as the Suns have won 4 of their last 5 games at home. Also, Suns have won 7 of their last 10 games and won 6 of the last 10 head-to-head outings against the Kings.
Can the Suns pick up themselves after the Lakers’ defeat, and clinch a win against the Kings? Share your thoughts below.
