The Phoenix Suns had some excessive hopes and expectations coming into the 2023-24 NBA season. That they had the league’s latest “massive 3” having added Bradley Beal to the combination with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker this previous offseason, giving them some of the gifted beginning lineups in basketball. However issues haven’t fairly labored out the way in which the staff had hoped, as they’ve a fair 15-15 document by means of the primary 30 video games and are practically on the skin of the playoff image wanting in.
Beal Again For Tonight’s Suns Sport vs. Hornets
INJURY UPDATE: Bradley Beal is offered for tonight’s recreation. pic.twitter.com/A1x3HQ86nT
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 29, 2023
A few of the blame may be positioned on the unavailability of Beal this season. In these first 30 video games, the staff’s latest acquisition has participated in simply 6 of them resulting from numerous accidents, and solely three of them alongside each Durant and Booker. The three have had little or no real-time recreation motion collectively as a way to gel and be taught to play collectively, and we’re simply 11 video games away from reaching the half-way level of the common season.
Luckily for the Suns, Beal is wholesome sufficient to make one more return to the courtroom. On Friday, the staff introduced that Beal can be made accessible for tonight’s recreation towards the Hornets, which will likely be his seventh recreation of the 12 months to this point.
Phoenix Has To Dig Themselves Out Of A Gap
Kevin Durant was DOING IT ALL for the Suns tonight 🔥
27 PTS16 AST (t-career-high)10 REB
9-of-16 FG pic.twitter.com/9rOlyiUxcx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 28, 2023
He’ll have to assist dig Phoenix out of the opening that they’ve created for themselves. After beginning off the season with an 11-6 document, the Suns have now misplaced 9 of their final 13 video games since Thanksgiving weekend, and have a fair .500 document and are holding on for expensive life to the tenth and last playoff spot within the Western Convention. Fortunately for them, the Warriors have dropped their final two video games to maintain them from gaining floor from the eleventh spot.
A pleasant residence stand might assist together with Beal’s return. Every of Phoenix’s subsequent six video games will happen at residence, as they gained’t be hitting the highway till January eighth. In actual fact, they gained’t go away the West Coast in any respect till January nineteenth.
The Suns enter the day with a half-game lead on the Warriors and are a half-game behind the Rockets for the ninth spot. They’re a whopping 16.5 level favourite tonight towards Charlotte, who’re using a 9-game dropping streak.
