The Phoenix Suns have been one of the pleasant surprises in the early going. The Suns received good news on the injury front late at night and then went on to defeat the Sacramento Kings 112-100 to remain alive in the NBA Emirates Cup.
Suns Reportedly Getting Healthier As They Head Into Important Final NBA Group Cup Game
Phoenix wasted no time getting a jump on Sacramento and led throughout. The Suns took advantage of the Kings’ sloppiness and finished the first quarter with a 41-15 lead. As Devin Booker scored 12 and Colin Gillespie, making his first start of the season, tallied 11. Gillespie finished with a season-high 21 points, on 8 of 15 shooting, including 4 of 9 from the 3-point line, along with nine assists. Meanwhile, Mark Williams posted his sixth double-double with 21 points, 16 boards, four assists, and three steals.
With the victory over Sacramento, Phoenix improved to 12-7 on the season and 3-o in NBA Cup play. The Suns head to Oklahoma City on Friday for the final Cup matchup of the season. The Thunder (18-1) also improved to 3-0 in the event with a 113-105 victory over Minnesota last night. Thus, tomorrow’s clash is vital, as Western Conference Group A supremacy is up for grabs.
Suns In A Good Spot To Advance In Emirates NBA Cup Play
Not only will the winner of the Suns-Kings game win Group A, but they will also advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. However, the loser will not be eliminated. In fact, both squads have a very good chance of progressing. The Thunder are essentially guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals as they are a +71 in scoring margin.
The Suns have a +35 scoring margin, putting them in a very good position to advance. The Los Angeles Lakers are the only Western Conference team to have already secured a spot in the quarterfinals. Either Group C will have only one team advance. Denver or San Antonio. Therefore, the Suns will make it regardless of the outcome against the Thunder if the LA Clippers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Suns likely advance if they don’t get blown out and the Clippers lose a close game to the Griz. The Clippers and Grizzlies enter Friday’s Group B clash with identical 2-1 records. But the Grizzlies have a +15 margin, and the Clippers have a -15.
Grayson Allen Could Return This Weekend
Phoenix has been shorthanded recently with three players sidelined. While Jalen Green’s potential return is still weeks away, the Suns got good news about Grayson Allen. Allen sat out his sixth straight game last night with a right quad contusion, though he could return this weekend, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
After facing the Thunder on Friday, the Suns host Denver on Saturday. They then travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Monday.
“Thought it was day-to-day,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said about Allen’s injury before the Kings game. “It’s dragged on a little bit. It was just not your average quad contusion. He got a good one, but he’s still making progress. The goal is to continue to assess, see the progress that he makes day-to-day, and get him out there this weekend.”
“We don’t know exactly how long it was going to take,” Ott continued. “He’s still in a good place. Just now we’re not practicing. There are so many of these games you don’t see him out there going up and down, 5-on-5, but he did his stuff post-shootaround today. The goal is to get him out there as fast as possible.”
“It’s hard when you have shootaround to really take reps away from the guys that are playing in the games,” Ott added. “We’re balancing that, and as he progresses, he can do more and more.”
Allen has surprisingly become one of the Suns’ most essential players. The 30-year-old, who has always been considered a role player, is off to a career-best start. He averages 18.5 points and nearly four threes while shooting 46.8/44.7/79.4. He also doles out four assists and records 1.6 steals a game while starting all 13 appearances.
What About Ryan Dunn?
Ryan Dunn should also have a chance of returning this weekend after sitting out the last three contests due to a sprained right wrist. Dunn has taken a step in his development following a solid rookie campaign. The 22-year-old forward, who has been in and out of the starting lineup, averages 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 24.1 minutes. His biggest improvement has come as a shooter as he completes 1.0 threes with splits of 47.8/34.0/66.7.
According to Rankin, Dunn was working on conditioning and ball-handling during yesterday’s morning shootaround.
“He’s obviously handling the ball a little bit more,” Ott said about Dunn. “The shooting piece will come when he feels good. That could take a jump at any time.”
© Ed Szczepanski, Imagn Images
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