Phoenix Suns mentor Monty Williams isn’t worried about Kevin Durant’s preparation for the impending postseason. Williams is aware that the 13-time All-Star will soon return to form.
Durant will attempt to advance once more on Friday when Phoenix takes on the visiting Denver Nuggets, who currently hold the lead in the Western Conference and are still on track to earn the top seed in the conference for the first time in franchise history. Durant will be competing against the Nuggets.
On Wednesday, when he made his much-anticipated home debut in a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves that was decided by a score of 107 to 100, Durant had a shooting night that was unusually poor.
Durant scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and provided four assists in 29 minutes after missing 10 games with a left ankle injury. He shot 5-for-18 from the field.
Phoenix (41-35) won its third straight game against Minnesota, and Devin Booker had a team-high 29 points. Chris Paul added 19 points for Phoenix, which is now half a game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference race for fourth place.
The Suns accept they are strategically situated to make a title run with Durant, who was gained from the Brooklyn Nets finally month’s exchange cutoff time.
After dropping their previous two meetings with the Nuggets in Denver—by scores of 128-125 in overtime on Christmas Day and 126-97 on January 11—the Suns are looking for their first victory over the Nuggets this season.
In a 107-88 defeat to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, the Nuggets (51-25) ended their four-game winning streak. Due to tightness in his right calf, Denver center Nikola Jokic was forced to miss the game.
Jokic is averaging 24.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists, and Denver’s disappointing performance against the Pelicans may have strengthened his case for MVP.
In the defeat on Thursday, Denver made just 4 of 28 (34.3 percent) attempts from three-point range. According to Nuggets coach Michael Malone, Jokic’s absence clearly contributed to the team’s difficulties.
Malone stated that Jokic may be absent again for Friday’s matchup after missing nine games this season.
The Nuggets, led by 21-year-old Jamal Murray, are three games ahead of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies with six games remaining.
In the second game of a back-to-back set, Murray, who played 36 minutes in the loss, may be rested as a precaution.
Bruce Brown’s performance against the Timberwolves was one bright spot: he scored 19 points off the bench. The fifth-year star has scored in twofold figures in six of his beyond eight games.
