The Phoenix Suns will be looking to bounce back from defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves versus the San Antonio Spurs, but they may be without two key players.
Grayson Allen is again questionable with a knee issue that held him out of the Timberwolves game, and Royce O'Neale has joined him with left knee soreness.
O'Neale could miss first game all season if he sits out
If the 32-year-old is unable to go for the game, it will be the first time all season he has been out due to injury, and it would come at the worst time.
The Suns have watched everybody from Jalen Green (hamstring) to Dillon Brooks (hand fracture) miss extended periods, but O'Neale has been their quiet constant.
He's also done remarkably well to play as the power forward on this roster as much as he has, considering he generally gives up some size to opponents.
His 3-point shooting is the great equalizer there, and the 40.3 percent he is averaging is right around what he has managed through his three seasons in The Valley.
Injury news like this is exactly why the Suns were interested in Jeremy Sochan once he cleared waivers at the deadline, although it hasn't exactly worked out with the New York Knicks.
O'Neale missing such a key game in the race to the playoffs is also going to give both Rasheer Fleming and Oso Ighodaro even more of an opportunity to shine.
That is not a bad thing, although neither have shown they can consistently do anything close to what O'Neale provides offensively each night.
Fleming is the more likely of that duo to provide a spark, but he's also not as disciplined defensively in the same way O'Neale carries out head coach Jordan Ott's scheme.
Allen would have been the ideal guy to step in and take some of O'Neale's minutes, while Brooks also could have played up a position.
The fact both are also likely to be unavailable (Brooks has no shot although Allen may yet make it off the questionable list) is a tough break for a Suns team that needs luck to go their way to make the postseason.
You might remember it was a combination of O'Neale and Allen who did a great job of keeping Victor Wembanyama quiet in a surprise win over the Spurs earlier this season.
That won't be happening this time out, and it will be interesting to see how coach Ott plugs the hole of his most unsung player this season.