Suns Embark on Critical Four-Game Road Gauntlet
The Phoenix Suns begin the first of a four-game road trip tonight when the Golden State Warriors play host to Monty Williams and co. in what will be a nationally televised game.
Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Cam Payne are not currently with the team on their road trip due to injuries, according to the Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin. Deandre Ayton is also out of action for tonight's game, too.
The Suns have had tough times navigating their recent schedule: They've lost six games in a row, having won just one of their last ten games while only posting five wins since the beginning of December.
Their upcoming road trip doesn't promise any different outcomes, either:
Tuesday 1/10 vs. Warriors: Steph Curry is set to return to a Warriors team that managed to float around .500 in his 11 game absence with a shoulder injury. Klay Thompson, who has dropped a respectable 30 and 54 points in his last two outings, is expected to play tonight as well. Golden State, playing well at home, is heavily favored and rightfully so.
Wednesday 1/11 vs. Nuggets: Booker last saw action in Phoenix's Christmas Day game that went into overtime before an eventual Suns loss. Phoenix kept things close with him only playing four minutes, but this time around might be different. The Nuggets are tied with the Grizzlies for the top seed in the West at 27-13 and have won their last 10-of-12 games. Nikola Jokic is very much on track to three-peat as MVP.
Friday 1/13 vs. Minnesota: Although the Wolves possess a similar record to Phoenix (20-21), they're on a much better recent track with their current four-game winning streak. It's been a total team effort from Minnesota with three different scorers (Edwards, Gobert and Russell) in their last three wins. Friday will be a big game for both teams looking to stay afloat in the West.
Monday 1/16 vs. Memphis: Phoenix's last win came against the Grizzlies on the road without Booker, so perhaps there's hope the same blueprint can be applied again. However, Memphis (tied with Denver atop the West) are 7-0 since that loss with Ja Morant putting highlight reel plays on ESPN night after night. The Grizzlies dominate the paint while being second in the NBA in total rebounds (49) and blocks (6) per night.
Without their top players, things won't be close to smooth sailing for Phoenix. We'll see if the Suns are capable of pushing through some of the darkest times in recent years.
