The Phoenix Suns will try to bounce back from its loss to Sacramento when it travels to Golden State for a Western Conference showdown on Monday night.
The Suns had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 128-119 setback against the Kings on Saturday while the Dubs had lost three games in a row prior to its overtime win against the Bucks over the weekend.
Update Injury for Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors
On Monday night, the Golden State Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns without Kevin Durant for the third straight game in which they will not face an opponent’s superstar.
The Warriors have won seven straight at home, including a 125-116 overtime thriller on Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a sore right hand.
Stephen Curry was the deciding factor in the victory. To force overtime, he scored 11 points in the final 1:51 of regulation, and his nine points in the five-minute to help the Warriors overtake the Eastern Conference’s top team.
On Tuesday, Curry will turn 35, so taking some time off may be in order. He played 43 minutes, matching his season high, in the overtime victory, and ESPN asked him, “How do you feel about setting a new career high?” “It’s obvious that you’ve been exhausted. Where do you feel pain?”
“Oh, I’m great,” he responded. “I’m just getting old.”
After being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns at the February trade deadline, Kevin Durant sprained his left ankle during pregame warmups last Wednesday.
He missed the first six games for the Suns with a preexisting knee injury, but then he helped Phoenix win three straights on the road earlier this month, averaging 26.7 points per game.
Golden State Warriors two-time champion Kevin Durant missed a January trip to San Francisco with the Nets due to knee soreness.
The Suns beat Oklahoma City for the fourth straight time before losing 128-119 to the visiting Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, despite Durant limping off the court before the game.
Now, they’ll have to deal with the Warriors and Bucks in quick succession, starting on Tuesday when Milwaukee travels to Phoenix.
- Devin Booker – Active
Saturday’s 128-119 loss to the Kings was despite Devin Booker’s 28 points (11-19 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals in 38 minutes.
Even though Booker’s Saturday performance was not as impressive as the 44 points he scored in just 28 minutes during the blowout win over the Thunder on Wednesday, he still led the team in scoring and shot well from the field.
Kevin Durant’s (ankle) absence will leave Booker as the Suns’ undisputed top scorer for at least the next three weeks.
Monday’s matchup should feature two teams that are hungry for victory. The Suns have a slight advantage in the first round of the playoffs due to their fourth place Western seed, but the Warriors are just 2 1/2 games behind.
After beating the Warriors by 29 and 11 points in their respective home games and 125-113 in their previous trip to San Francisco, Phoenix has clinched the season series.
However, that was before Durant arrived and defensive stopper Mikal Bridges was free to bother Curry, who has been limited to 24 points or less in eight of his last eleven matchups against the Suns.
Bridges was part of the package the Thunder sent to the Nets in exchange for Kevin Durant, so he won’t be there to help the Nets’ cause against Curry this time around.
Injury reports Suns
- Landry Shamet (Foot) – Out
- Kevin Durant (Ankle) – Out
Injury reports Warriors
- Jonathan Kuminga (Ankle) – Questionable
- Andre Iguodala (Hip) – Questionable
- Draymond Green (Ankle) – Questionable
- Andrew Wiggins (Personal) – Out
- Gary Payton II (Abdomen) – Out
- Ryan Rollins (Foot) – Out
