The Phoenix Suns will be taking on the Sacramento Kings tonight. As NBA fans will be aware, the Suns made a trade for Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. However, he played in just three games before being sidelined once again with an ankle injury. Nonetheless, the rest of the team has been playing quite well and currently holds a record of 38 wins and 34 losses, giving them the 4th position in the Western Conference.
The Suns will be playing against the Kings who have exceeded expectations this season, Sacramento is proving to be one of the best teams in the NBA this season and holds a record of 43 wins and 29 losses, placing them 3rd and just one spot higher than the Suns.
As both these teams get ready to play, fans should certainly be wondering whether Durant will make a return for his team and when that could be. Let us take a look at the injury reports and expected rosters for this game in order to find out. That will also help in making an expert prediction for this game.
Kevin Durant is listed out for the Phoenix Suns vs Sacramento Kings game tonight
Unfortunately for Suns fans, Durant is not expected to play tonight for his team against the Kings. He suffered quite a bizarre ankle injury during a pre-game warmup for a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and has not suited up for his team since then.
In his absence, Devin Booker and the rest of the Suns have had to step up and pick up the slack. They will likely have to do so again tonight since he is not expected to play. However, it’s not like Durant will be the only player from both sides missing this game. Here are the complete injury reports and expected rosters for this match between the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.
Phoenix Suns injury report
- Kevin Durant (out)
- Deandre Ayton (out)
Phoenix Suns expected roster
- Chris Paul
- Devin Booker
- Josh Okogie
- Torrey Craig
- Bismack Biyombo
Sacramento Kings injury report
- Kevin Heurter (out)
Sacramento Kings expected roster
- De’Aaron Fox
- Malik Monk
- Harrison Barnes
- Keegan Murray
- Domontas Sabonis
As we can tell from the injury reports, neither Kevin Durant nor Deandre Ayton are expected to play for their team tonight. On the other hand, the Kings will only be missing Kevin Heurter as the rest of the squad looks healthy and good to go. Finally, here are the expert predictions for this game.
The Suns are slightly favored over the Kings tonight
While this is still expected to be a close game, we have the Phoenix Suns winning tonight. Devin Booker has been playing exceptionally well for his team in Durant’s absence and is expected to be the best player on the court tonight. His team is coming off a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers and will be looking to regain momentum against the Kings.
There is no denying that Sacramento has been playing very well this season. However, they are significantly less experienced when compared to the Phoenix Suns. Moreover, they are on a 3 game-losing streak. It is certainly possible for the Kings to win tonight, especially if the Suns don’t have Durant or Ayton. However, they will still be considered the underdogs.