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Nov 26ย โขย 4 min read
Early Thanksgiving: Durant & Beal Return!
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โ ๐ GOOD MORNING Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024 -- The Suns are so back. OK, so we have to wait until later today to fully celebrate, but the team confirmed that it expects the Big 3 to officially reunite for tonight's matchup against the Lakers, assuming they both feel good following the last two days of practice. It's a big boost for a team that has struggled since two of its star players were sidelined, and comes on a day of NBA Cup competition, giving fans an extra reason to be thankful just two days before Thanksgiving. Before we move on, I just want to give a huge shoutout to my PHNX colleagues Craig Morgan, Gerald Bourguet and Jesse Friedman, who were named finalists for the 2024 NSMA Awards Arizona sportswriter of the year. The recognition is incredibly well deserved, and I'm proud to call myself your colleague. Congrats!! On to the show! ๐ฐ LEADING OFF Durant, Beal Set to Reignite the SunsThe calendar shows Thanksgiving is still two days away, but honestly, it already feels like Christmas. The Suns are set to get Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal back from injury for tonight's game against the Lakers, assuming they still feel good following two consecutive days of practice. Both suffered calf injuries in recent weeks, and though Phoenix got off to a red-hot 9-2 start, but have gone just 1-6 without KD, and 0-5 without both Durant and Beal in the lineup. The basketball gods smiled upon the banged-up Suns with a five-day break in between games, which proved to be enough time to heal up and get the band back together. "Good rehab process," Beal said. "Thankful we had the schedule we had, so we had some rest days. I feel great." โฑ๏ธ BECOME A DIEHARD TODAY!
The Big 3 is a Big DealA concern heading into this season was the health of some of the Suns' best players, and it didn't take long for those concerns to be validated. Now, in what feels like months later (it's only been a few weeks!), two of Phoenix's biggest pieces appear to be healthy again. Head coach Mike Budenholzer said their return will offer relief -- but not automatic wins -- for a team that has dropped five consecutive games. "The confidence of everybody is going to be lifted with every turn, but we can't just sit back and say, 'We have Brad and Kevin, everything's going to be OK,'" Budenholzer said. "There's a lot of work to be done." Much of the attention will turn to Devin Booker's productivity, which has dropped during the absence of Beal and Durant. But it's tough to fault the 28-year-old, who often found himself double-teamed -- and sometimes triple-teamed -- offering very little space on the floor. That's about to change. "That's the number one thing with our team. If we can be healthy, then we know what we can be," Beal said. "We can't keep talking about it. We know what we can do, but we have to go out there and prove it." All Eyes on the End GoalBoth Beal and Durant will be watched closely by Budenholzer and his staff, who have aspirations of winning in the late spring and early summer, as opposed to the late fall. Durant had been playing close to 40 minutes every game before his injury, but the Suns won't mortgage the present to sacrifice the long haul. "Kevin and the medical group, we'll all talk about it and figure out the best way to bring him back and keep him healthy," Budenholzer said. "He loves to play, he loves to be on the court, and I think that's part of it. You love players who want to be out there and play."
Beal echoed that sentiment, even if it goes against how the 31-year-old has approached the game in the past. "It's going to take a lot for me to not be out there," he said. "Same time, over the years, you learn to embrace that moment that you're in when you are hurt." After all, wins in November are nice, but wins in June are special. "I love that I have a staff that dials me back," Beal said. "They do a really good job looking at the big picture, because we want to be playing in June." We sure hope the same! Editor's note: Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the FREE PHNX Daily here, and don't miss out on free, exclusive content about The Valley's top sports stories every morning! ๐๏ธ ABOUT LAST NIGHT... โฝ CIRCLE K CIRCLING BACK ๐ฌ THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID
(results to be posted in Tuesday's newsletter) ๐ GEAR UP ๐ป DON'T MISS OUT |
The PHNX Daily brings you the top sports stories in Arizona every day, delivered right to your inbox! Follow along with all of your beloved AZ sports teams as we bring unique, free content featuring your favorite players, coaches and personalities from throughout the state's sports scene. You can also catch up on the most recent stories from your favorite PHNX writers, check out the most recent podcast from our vast offering of shows, and find all the information needed to see which of your teams are playing on any given day, what time they start, and where you can watch or listen to them. It's all free, delivered to you bright and early each and every morning!