The Phoenix Suns (13-10) are set to face off with the Brooklyn Nets (12-10) for the first time since February of this year- the night before the Suns made the trade for all-time great Kevin Durant.
The Suns are coming off of a 119-116 win over the Golden State Warriors last night, while the Nets fell to the Sacramento Kings by a score of 131-118 on Monday night.
SUNS INJURY REPORT
Kevin Durant (Left Ankle Sprain) is Probable
Nassir Little (Concussion Protocol) is Questionable
Grayson Allen (Right Groin Strain) is Out
Damion Lee (Right Meniscus Surgery) is Out
Josh Okogie (Right Hip Injury) is Out
NETS INJURY REPORT
Noah Clowney (G League – On Assignment) is Out
Keon Johnson (G League – Two-Way) is Out
Ben Simmons (Left Lower Back Nerve Impingement) is Out
Dennis Smith Jr. (Upper Back Sprain) is Out
Lonnie Walker IV (Left Hamstring Strain) is Out
Dariq Whitehead (G League – On Assignment) is Out
PREVIEW
Bridges, Johnson Make Return
Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are notably making their first appearance in Phoenix as members of the Nets since the Durant trade went down.
The former lottery picks were vital in creating a newfound winning culture in Phoenix- and both became beloved in the Valley over the course of their tenures with the franchise.
Bridges notably played every possible game with the Suns, averaging 12.2 points and 4 rebounds per game in 365 contests. Bridges also came second in defensive player of the year voting in 2022.
Johnson averaged 10.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 200 games in Phoenix.
The reception for both is almost assured to be warm- and it could be one of the highest rated games of the season in the Phoenix market.
Nets’ Potent Offensive Attack
The Nets were expected to be a team that would compete behind a strong team-defense effort, but the offense has been what’s stood out so far.
The Nets are 8th in scoring as a team this year, averaging 117 points per game- and are lead by seven players that average double figures.
The Nets also are a very good three-point shooting team on high volume.
Brooklyn is shooting 39.1% from behind the arc on nearly 38 attempts per game and are lead by five players that shoot 38 percent or higher from three on high volume.
The Suns’ defense will be tested yet again tonight.
Matchup to Watch: Bridges vs Booker
Though the new status of Kevin Durant could change game plans, Bridges’ assignment could be none other than his teammate of 4.5 seasons in Devin Booker.
This potential matchup will be nothing short of enticing, as Bridges has retained his reputation as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the NBA, while Booker is now established as one of the most deadly bucket-getters in the entire world.
Both know each other’s tendencies all too well, and there aren’t many things better than seeing elite individual offense vs elite individual defense.
Seeing the two teammates and friends go back-and-forth will surely boost the excitement inside Footprint Center and will also hopefully lead to an entertaining contest on a special return of beloved former Suns players.
The Suns and Nets are set to tip off shortly after 7 PM Arizona time and will be broadcast locally on AZ Family.
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