The short-handed Suns are hoping Grayson Allen can return for Sunday’s game at Minnesota, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Allen is listed as probable after missing the last two contests with soreness in his right hamstring, and coach Mike Budenholzer said he’ll be a “game-time decision.”
“We’ve been day-to-day with it,” Allen said. “I don’t have any serious hamstring strains. We’ve been able to do a lot of stuff, test it out, make sure I’m ready. Been able to do a lot of stuff on the court. It’s just how much I can get through without pain or without making it worse.”
Phoenix won’t have Bradley Bealwho will sit out his third straight game with a strained left calf. He left in the fourth quarter on Tuesday after feeling pain in the area and hasn’t played since. He’s made some progress, according to Rankin, but isn’t ready to return. The Suns are also missing leading scorer Kevin Durantwho is dealing with a left calf strain as well and won’t be reevaluated until later this month. With much of its rotation sidelined, Phoenix has lost its last two games to Sacramento and Oklahoma City by 39 combined points.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Rookie Very Ighodaro was used ahead of Mason Plumlee as the Suns‘ backup center Friday night, Rankin adds. Ighodaro put up six points and seven rebounds in a career-high 27 minutes as Budenholzer explained that the decision was based on the opponent. “The athleticism, the way Oklahoma City plays, felt like Oso could help us and I was happy with how Oso impacted the game,” he said. “Some games, some nights, it’s just different matchups and you’ve got to use your roster the best you can. I thought it was a good night for Oso.”
- Among the reasons the Warriors want to win the NBA Cup is so their younger players can collect the bonus money, per Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Players on the winning team receive $515K each, while the runners-up get $200K. Teams that lose in the semifinals earn more than $50K per player. “It’s a lot of money,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It may not be to Draymond (Green) and (Stephen Curry), but it’s a lot for the guys on the back end.”
- Mohamed Bamba will be available to make his debut with the Clippers on Sunday, a source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bamba, who is recovering from a left knee injury, was able to play for the team’s G League affiliate in San Diego on Thursday.
