Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker (1) and Cameron Payne (15) watch an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Kevin C. Cox / Pool Photo via AP)
Devin Booker and Cameron Payne will remain out of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday how they host the Golden State Warriors.
Booker lost the last two games with a hamstring injury, while Payne lost his Wednesday night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with what is now being labeled as a sprained foot.
The Suns will also be without Dario Saric and Damian Jones, who approved health and safety protocols this week, but are refurbishing themselves before entering a game. John Gambadoro’s Arizona Sports reported on Wednesday that Saric is planning a comeback on Saturday, when the Phoenix visits the Dallas Mavericks.
Phoenix (8-8) have lost five of their last six games and have been fighting offensively, especially in their last game, a 102-97 loss to Thunder.
Booker averages 22.9 points and 4.1 assists per game this year.
Payne had a resounding start to the year as a reserve guard behind Chris Paul, but suffered a sprained ankle that kept him out of games on 9 and 11 January. This led to Suns’ three postponed games due to coronavirus concerns, and while Payne returned after that week off, he fought in the next four games before his last injury.
Payne was 0-of-6 in a double-header against the Denver Nuggets before Phoenix caught him on Wednesday against Oklahoma City.
Payne still averages 6.6 points and 3.9 assists per game (13 games) and remains in second place on the team with a net rating of 12.7, which means that Suns outperforms opponents by 12.7 points for every 100 possessions with him on the court.
Saric is the first in the team with a net score of 19.0 out of seven games played.
While the Suns continue to lack players, they at least face a Warriors team also coming out of the first consecutive game. Golden State (10-8) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves at home in a late game, broadcast on national television on Wednesday, before traveling to Phoenix.
Suns and Warriors starts at 8 pm in a game televised by TNT that will be broadcast on local radio in 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
Rookie Alexander on G League mission with Canton Charge
Phoenix rookie Ty-Shon Alexander, who has a two-way contract as a non-hired free agent, was assigned to play by the Canton Charge in the G League bubble at Disney World, according to the Suns injury report released Thursday market.
The Suns, which controlled the NAZ Suns franchise for another year before moving to the Detroit Pistons, chose not to take their G League team to the bubble in Florida. This allows them to assign two-way players to other teams.
The league’s regular season runs from February 10 to March 6.
Alexander had appeared in three games so far this year for the Suns.