The Phoenix Suns are keeping their fingers crossed that star player Bradley Beal will be ready to suit up for Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors. Beal, who tweaked his left ankle and felt some tightness in his left calf during Wednesday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets, is still a bit of a question mark. Coach Mike Budenholzer sounded optimistic after Friday’s practice, stating that they’ll know more about Beal’s status in the coming hours.
“We’ll see how Brad does in the next day or so,” Budenholzer said, following a Thanksgiving break after the Suns had just wrapped up a back-to-back. The Suns are hoping the extra rest will be beneficial, but with the season already underway and key players battling injuries, it’s always a bit of a nail-biter.
As of now, the official NBA injury report lists both Beal and center Jusuf Nurkic as questionable for the game. Nurkic, who has been battling a right quad contusion and ankle issues, has been fighting through a tough stretch. Initially, the Suns were hopeful these injuries weren’t too severe, but now they’re being more cautious with the team's long-term health in mind. Budenholzer had earlier considered both players as “probable” but now seems a bit more cautious.
“I think in the last 24, 48 hours, we’re hopeful that his body has responded pretty well,” Budenholzer said of Beal’s recovery. “His frustration is less, and he’s in a good place. But, certainly, he wants to be healthy. He deserves to be healthy, and we need him to be healthy.”
This is a sentiment Suns fans can fully understand. Beal has had a rough go of it with injuries over the past few years. Just before his most recent return, Beal had missed five games due to a left calf strain, only to come back and make an immediate impact against the Los Angeles Lakers. In that game, he dropped 23 points, helping the Suns roll past the Lakers with a decisive 127-100 win. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to maintain that momentum against Brooklyn just two days later.
In the Brooklyn game, Beal played through discomfort, scoring 17 points but ultimately sat out the game’s final 6:38. Afterward, he revealed that he had tweaked his ankle at the end of the game, and his calf was tightening up as expected. He made the smart decision to back off a little. “Once I tweaked my ankle, I was like, alright, let’s calm it down,” Beal said post-game.
To make matters more frustrating, the Suns' loss to the Nets saw Beal step on an opponent’s foot twice during the game. The timing couldn’t have been worse for both Beal and his teammate, Kevin Durant. Durant, who has his own injury struggles, also grabbed at his left foot after Nets forward Ben Simmons stepped on it during a transition play. It was just one of those nights when the injury bug seemed to bite hard.
Durant, however, shook it off. Despite battling a left calf strain that had kept him sidelined for seven games, Durant went on to score 30 points in the loss to Brooklyn, his second game back since returning to action. “It didn’t hurt too bad,” Durant said, acknowledging the discomfort but pushing through it. Still, the Suns were clearly not themselves without the full force of their roster, which is why Durant’s return is so critical moving forward.
Despite the injuries, the Suns’ offense has been anything but sluggish. Before the Brooklyn loss, Phoenix had blown out the Lakers with impressive ball movement and sharp shooting, led by both Durant and Beal. But on the second night of their back-to-back, the team just didn’t have the legs to keep up with the Nets, who shot an impressive 18-of-42 from 3-point range. That marksmanship helped the Nets score a whopping 24 points off Phoenix turnovers, which ultimately proved to be the difference.
Suns guard Grayson Allen was candid about the team’s performance after the loss. “We had one really good game and one game where we just didn’t play well, played tired,” Allen said. However, he remained confident that the Suns would bounce back, noting the good practice they had on Friday. “I think we all feel good about where we’re at,” he added.
While the team tries to adjust to their new dynamics with injuries, forward Royce O’Neale also reflected on the need for improvement. “We’ve just got to compete harder,” he said. “Have more of a sense of urgency.” The Suns certainly have the talent to compete at a high level, but they need to play smarter and with more energy, especially against teams like Brooklyn, who are capable of lighting up the scoreboard.
Brooklyn’s Tyrese Martin played the role of a nightmare for the Suns, lighting up the scoreboard for 30 points. Coming into the game, Martin had only scored 33 points total in his two seasons with the Nets, so his breakout performance was a real eye-opener for Phoenix. He went 8-of-10 from behind the arc, and the Suns struggled to adjust to his hot shooting. After the game, Martin was humble but confident about his performance. "I just feel like they didn’t know who I was," he said with a grin. "If you don’t do that, then they are probably not going to pay attention to you on the defensive end. But I bet you they know who I am now.”
The Suns definitely won’t forget him anytime soon. The Nets were on fire from beyond the arc, and it was a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NBA. Even though the Suns have a solid roster, they’ll need to be on their toes every game if they hope to avoid these surprise performances. Phoenix certainly has the tools to be a powerhouse in the Western Conference, but the road to the top requires maintaining health, focus, and consistency.
Looking ahead, the Suns will face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, a team that needs no introduction. With Durant facing his former team, the matchup is even more intriguing. Durant has a history with the Warriors, helping them secure two back-to-back NBA titles and Finals MVP awards in 2017 and 2018. If both Durant and Beal are healthy, the Suns will have their hands full with Golden State, but the game promises to be an exciting battle.
At the end of the day, it’s about getting back on track after the Brooklyn loss. The Suns have shown they can dominate when their key players are firing on all cylinders, but they’ve also learned the hard way that injuries and lapses in focus can derail their momentum. As they look to build off their impressive win against the Lakers, the Suns need to regroup, get healthy, and continue to push for consistency as they face the Warriors and beyond.
The season is young, but for a team like Phoenix, every game counts. The return of Beal and Durant is crucial for their chances at a deep playoff run, and how they respond to these injuries could determine whether they’re contenders or not. For now, it’s all about staying optimistic, working hard in practice, and hoping for a little luck on the injury front.
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