MINNEAPOLIS – The Phoenix Suns conclude their four-game highway journey right here Sunday towards the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-6) with out Bradley Beal however with Grayson Allen again.
Allen missed Phoenix’s final two video games with proper hamstring soreness. It was listed as possible.
This will likely be Phoenix’s first sport towards Minnesota for the reason that 2024 playoffs, when the Timberwolves swept the Suns within the first spherical.
“We’re engaged on it each day,” Allen mentioned after Saturday’s observe. “I don’t have any critical hamstring pressure. We had been in a position to do quite a lot of issues, take a look at, make certain I am prepared. I used to be in a position to do quite a lot of issues on the sector. It is merely as a lot as I can endure with out ache or making the state of affairs worse.
The Suns will begin Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, rookie Ryan Dunn, Mason Plumlee and Jusuf Nurkic. The Plumlee-Nurkic look will face T-Wolves 7-footer Rudy Gobert and ahead Julius Randle.
Beal will miss a 3rd straight sport with left calf pressure. He will not play Monday towards Orlando within the second straight sport, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer mentioned earlier than Sunday’s sport.
He felt tightness in his left calf throughout Tuesday’s win over Utah whereas checking the sport with 7:19 left within the fourth and didn’t return.
There was progress, however to not the purpose of returning to motion. Budenholzer mentioned Beal will likely be evaluated when the Suns return to Phoenix. Phoenix begins a six-game homestand Monday that continues Wednesday towards the New York Knicks.
The Suns are on a two-game dropping streak, dropping to the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder by a mixed margin of 39 factors.
“Final evening, OKC performed more durable than us,” Suns rookie Oso Ighodaro mentioned Saturday. “Identical factor in Sacramento. We simply should play exhausting, share the ball. Being linked actually is essential.
The Suns had been defeated by the Kings, 127-104, on Wednesday and fell to the Thunder, 99-83, on Friday within the NBA West Cup Group B sport.
“I hate to lose, I hate to lose,” Suns wing Josh Okogie mentioned because the Thunder held the Suns to a season low in factors, discipline purpose proportion (29.3 %) and 3-point proportion (24.3%).
“I hate dropping. They seem to be a good workforce. A workforce we’ll in all probability should face within the latter elements of the season.”
Josh Okogie on OKC after Friday’s loss.
He later mentioned that Thunder was so good defensively as a result of he may double whereas rotating on the again. #Suns #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/2DRGWuI9RD
-Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 16, 2024
“(OKC) is an efficient workforce. A workforce that we’ll in all probability should face within the latter elements of the season. It’s fairly good to fulfill them early and really feel them.”
Devin Booker failed to attain within the first half for the primary time since December 23, 2019, as he completed with 12 factors on 2-of-10 capturing.
“They had been setting me up,” Booker mentioned. “If we made some pictures early, we seemed good. I am not within the enterprise of attempting to attain factors towards double and triple groups. You wish to make the precise play. Hopefully we make pictures after which make them pay.
The Suns stay with out Kevin Durant, who’s again in Phoenix recovering from a left calf pressure suffered within the Nov. 8 win at Dallas. He will likely be re-evaluated the weekend of November 23-24 based mostly on the two-week schedule supplied by the workforce when the harm was introduced on November 9.
Phoenix is 1-3 with out Durant.
Jusuf Nurkic will play Sunday with a sprained left ankle that has bothered him since his harm towards the Mavericks. Beforehand listed as possible, the 7-footer performed in Phoenix’s final two video games after lacking the NBA Cup sport at Utah.
He’s 1 of 18 from the sector for seven complete factors in his final three video games, going 0 of 9 from 3. Nurkic missed all seven of his makes an attempt from the sector in Friday’s loss.
His 4 factors got here on eight free throw makes an attempt.
Budenholzer opted to play Ighodaro on the bench instead of Plumlee, who bought the beginning in Tuesday’s win and had a double-double of 15 factors and 14 rebounds.
Taking part in a season-high 27 minutes on Friday, Ighodaro had six factors and 7 rebounds towards OKC.
“The athleticism, the best way Oklahoma Metropolis performs, it seemed like Oso may assist us and I used to be pleased with Oso’s impression on the sport,” Budenholzer mentioned.
“Some video games, some nights, it is simply completely different matchups and it’s a must to use your squad as greatest you’ll be able to. I believed it was evening for Oso.
Do you have got any ideas on the present state of the Suns? Contact Suns insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Comply with him on X, previously Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This text was initially revealed on Arizona Republic: Suns go massive towards T-Wolves, Bradley Beal dominated out
