The Phoenix Suns suffered a couple of knocks to key bench players when Cam Payne and Bismack Biyombo got injured near the end of the season. Will they play in game one?
Despite having two key role players pick up a knock, with Payne suffering a back injury and Biyombo taking a shot to his knee, the Phoenix Suns are the healthiest they have been all season. For only the ninth time since the All-Star break, when Phoenix takes the floor, their assumed starting line-up after trading for Kevin Durant will play.
While having all the starters is excellent news, especially for the top-heavy Suns, potentially missing two main contributors off the bench when the rotation is shorter could be a problem. However, some good news is regarding the Suns’ injury report before game one this evening.
Several names but few concerns about the Phoenix Suns’ injury report
Officially, four Suns players had injury status updates on gameday, with TJ Warren probable (illness), Kevin Durant probably (ankle), and Biyombo probable (knee). Only Payne, with a back problem, is questionable for today’s game and day-to-day moving forward.
Having only Payne possibly miss out on the opening playoff game is a significant accomplishment, considering a few months ago, the Suns were so injured that people were questioning if they would make the playoffs. With the most critical time of the season, maybe Phoenix will finally get a little luck and be injury free for the next two months.
Of course, Phoenix will have to win 16 games to be Champions, eight more than Durant has ever played for the team. Fortunately, KD is ready and available today, along with Devin Booker and Chris Paul, giving all Phoenix fans hope for something magical in the weeks and months ahead, and it starts with a healthy team for game one.