The Phoenix Suns, fresh off a resounding victory, will now look to avoid a disappointment against one of the weakest teams in the NBA. After beating the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, the S
The Phoenix Suns, fresh off a resounding victory, will now look to avoid a disappointment against one of the weakest teams in the NBA.
After beating the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, the Suns look for another victory when they host the beleaguered Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
Phoenix is in sixth place in the Western Conference, but is only a half-game ahead of the Sacramento Kings, who occupy first place in the play-ins.
The 117-107 overtime win over the host Nuggets might be one of those key wins the Suns look back on. Phoenix blew a 22-point lead in the third quarter and needed a 3-pointer from Kevin Durant with 26.6 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
Durant took over in the extra session with eight points as the Suns outscored Denver 15-5.
“You look at the entire season, obviously the end result is always important, playing in the playoffs, trying to win a championship, it’s important,” Durant said. “But you celebrate the little moments.”
Durant scored 35 points despite shooting just 14 of 34 from the field. Grayson Allen knocked down eight 3-pointers while scoring 28 points.
“I saw a few come in early and I got more aggressive with the ones I was taking and they kept coming in,” Allen said.
The Suns stunned the Nuggets despite missing star guard Devin Booker (ankle) for the second straight game. He will remain absent on Thursday.
Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic pulled down 12 rebounds against Denver after setting a franchise record with 31 in a 118-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Phoenix had lost four of six games before the victory against the Nuggets.
Toronto is aiming for a two-game season sweep after earning a 112-105 home victory on November 29. Durant scored 30 for the Suns and Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 23.
Barnes is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery Monday to repair a broken bone in his left hand. With the Raptors on the verge of losing 50 games, Toronto’s All-Star could be shut down even if he recovers in time to return this season.
The Raptors suffered another blow Tuesday when center Jakob Poeltl underwent surgery on his left pinky finger. He was injured Sunday during a 111-106 home win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Without Barnes and Poeltl on Tuesday, Toronto was uncompetitive and was defeated 139-98 by the visiting New Orleans Pelicans. The 41-point margin represented the worst home loss in Raptors history.
Recent acquisition Immanuel Quickley may be feeling the problem.
“The effort and energy has to be at a very high level, and we didn’t do that,” Quickley said.
Quickley scored 17 points for the Raptors, who shot just 38.7 percent from the field and 13 of 44 (29.5 percent) from 3-point range.
Toronto led 21-19 midway through the first quarter before the game quickly began to lose steam.
“They caught fire at the 3-point line,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said of the Pelicans. “We started subbing and went to our bench guys and from there it quickly went south.”
Injuries are piling up for Toronto, which ranks 12th in the Eastern Conference. Guard Bruce Brown (knee) will miss a third straight game Thursday, and guard Ochai Agbaji (knee) left the game against New Orleans in the third quarter. Agbaji was listed as questionable to suit up against the Suns.
Thursday’s contest is the first of a four-game road trip for the Raptors.
