The Phoenix Suns are halfway through the regular season, and we've already told you who their second-quarter MVP was during that important part of the campaign.
They remain in the playoff picture, despite being on a six-game Eastern Conference road trip and having dropped two straight. The second of which versus the Detroit Pistons without Devin Booker.
Suns have chance to pounce on weakened Knicks
With a pair of games in New York getting underway this evening starting with the New York Knicks, the Suns have been dealt a favorable injury update from the opposing team.
Knicks coach Mike Brown said Josh Hart (right ankle soreness) and Jalen Brunson (right ankle sprain) OUT.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 17, 2026
Said Brunson day-to-day. For Hart, he mentioned the soreness. #Suns #Knicks
The Knicks going to have to try and get a win against perhaps the scrappiest team in the league without Jalen Brunson or Josh Hart.
This is massive for a number of reasons, the most important of which being that Booker remains questionable himself after suffering an ankle sprain of his own against the Miami Heat.
He did return in that one and almost helped them come all the way back, but the franchise are clearly bringing him along slowly.
Being without both him and Jalen Green is a blow, but one softened by the Knicks missing their own franchise player. As for the absence of Josh Hart?
He's one of the few guys in the league who can match Phoenix for energy on every possession, and he's not the type to be ruffled by the potential antics of Brooks either.
New York does still have serious talent in the form of Karl-Anthony Towns, Valley favorite Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, but the Suns have the necessary players to slow them down.
This represents a chance that likely didn't seem possible once Booker went down to get another win against an Eastern Conference contender, but the Suns have actually been doing this all season.
In fact if they played in what most see as the weaker conference, they could be fighting for home court advantage in the first round of the postseason right now.
This may also be one final opportunity for the Suns to show the Knicks just how much Nick Richards could help their cause, there is no better shop window to put him in than this one.
It will be a trip to Brooklyn for a date with the Nets after this, a game that feels more winnable than this one. If you want to make the playoffs though, then every night you have to bring it, and this lucky break helps.