Sixth in the Western Conference and in the position of last to qualify for the playoffs, the Suns (35v-25d) are under direct threat from the Kings (34v-25d), the Mavericks (34v-26d) and even the Warriors (32v-27d). ). Six weeks before the end of the regular season, each victory or defeat can count double, and last night, at home, Kevin Durant's teammates had a very bad evening.
First, they lost to the Rockets, who have almost nothing left to play with 7 wins less than the 10th, the Lakers. But they also lost two starters to injury! First it was Jusuf Nurkic who suffered a neck injury after taking a big slap from his teammate Josh Okogie during a muscular defense on Jalen Green. It was three minutes before halftime, and the Bosnian would not return to the game afterward.
Then, at the very end of the match, it was Devin Booker who badly twisted his ankle during contact with the foot of his teammate Royce O'Neale, who also twisted his ankle! The x-rays did not reveal a fracture, and we will have to wait until we wake up to find out the severity of the sprain. For now, Booker is very doubtful for Sunday's game against the Thunder. For O'Neale, it's much less serious according to Frank Vogel.
Bradley Beal very nervous
Finally, a sign that the frustration was palpable, Bradley Beal joined the locker room before anyone else. For his return to the field after two weeks of absence, the former Wizards fullback was eaten by Jalen Green, and the young Rockets forward did not stop attacking him. As a result, the tone rose in the middle of the 3rd quarter, and Beal, annoyed, put his hand on Green's face, who pushed him away.
Then everyone intervened to separate them and after viewing the images, the referees distributed techniques to both players, including two for Beal alone, who was sent off. “ The first is for provoking Green with the ball, and the second is for violently touching Green. explained referee David Guthrie after the match.
In the end, a very complicated evening for the Suns, and Kevin Durant asks everyone to focus on tonight's match against the Thunder. In the event of a defeat, Phoenix could fall out of the Top 6. “We have to move on, and the turnaround can be quick” assures the All-Star winger. “We have to focus on the next team. I'm sure the guys will look back on the game and see what they could have done better. The coach is going to watch the video to see how we could improve and we're just going to move on and get ready for the next game. »
