Charlotte Hornets vs Phoenix Suns Game Preview
INJURY REPORT:
HORNETS: DOUBTFUL: PJ Washington (Foot), OUT: LaMelo Ball (Ankle), Cody Martin (Knee)
SUNS: PROBABLE: Kevin Durant, OUT: Landry Shamet (Foot)
GAME PREVIEW: The Hornets take on the Phoenix Suns for the third game of their four-game homestand. The Hornets are on a roll as they're winners of their last five games. Even though the Hornets are all but eliminated from playoff contention, the road for them will be a lot tougher now since LaMelo Ball is out for the season.
LaMelo Ball fractured his ankle in the Hornets' win against the Pistons on Monday. The Hornets haven't won six straight games since the 2015-2016 season. They have a chance to do so if they can snag a win over a talented Suns squad. However, it will be far from an easy matchup for the Hornets tonight. The Hornets have struggled against the Suns over the last couple of matchups as they've lost by 30 or more points in the last three. The one thing the Hornets might have going their way is the Suns have a 12-19 record on the road this season.
The Suns sit in the fourth spot in the Western Conference with a 33-29 record. Devin Booker has had another great season as he's averaging 26.5 points per game. The Suns will also have a new piece to the puzzle in tonight's game. The new piece is an MVP winner and two-time NBA Finals MVP - Kevin Durant. Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns before the All-Star break and has yet to make his debut due to his MCL injury that he suffered on January 8th. In that trade, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were shipped off to Brooklyn. It will certainly be something to see as Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns will play their first game together against the Hornets.
KEY MATCHUP: Kevin Durant vs Hornets
Kevin Durant is expected to make his debut for the Phoenix Suns tonight. The Hornets could be without PJ Washington once again with his foot injury, which leaves very few options to guard the 12-time NBA All-Star. The Hornets have had to start JT Thor as PJ's replacement over the last two games. JT Thor is a lengthy player and a solid defender for his age, but that would be a tough task to ask of him to guard Kevin Durant. The Hornets could look to put Kelly Oubre Jr on Durant, but Durant has a pretty substantial size difference over Oubre. It will definitely be something to watch to see how the Hornets handle guarding the new Suns superstar.
| Position | Hornets | Suns |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | Terry Rozier | Chris Paul |
Shooting Guard | Kelly Oubre Jr | Devin Booker |
Small Forward | Gordon Hayward | Josh Okogie |
Power Forward | JT Thor | Kevin Durant |
Center | Mark Williams | Deandre Ayton |
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