Suns Rule Out Starter vs Lakers

The Suns will once again be short-handed against the Lakers.

Dec 18, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott against the Golden State Warriors at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns will be without a key starter for another game tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns (15-13) ruled out Grayson Allen with right knee injury management after he was listed as doubtful on last night's injury report.

This will be the third game in a row Allen misses with the knee injury.

Suns coach Jordan Ott said Allen did "most" of practice yesterday, however this latest designation signals he isn't ready to return quite yet.

"It's the right knee, so there was a little swelling in there just after (last Sunday's loss to the Lakers)," Ott added at practice. "Now that seems to have gone away, so it's just working his back in."

Jalen Green also remains out for the Suns after he was given a new re-evaluation timeline of two-to-three weeks yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Lakers (19-8) will be without Luka Doncic (lower left leg contusion), Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness) and Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain). Austin Reaves has been upgraded to available after originally being questionable with a left calf strain that caused him to miss the last three games.

Suns-Lakers Preview

Tonight's game could be intense after a chippy battle between the two teams that resulted in a 116-114 Lakers victory in Phoenix last Sunday.

The previous matchup featured a 20-point fourth quarter comeback by the Suns, 51 personal fouls, five technical fouls, Dillon Brooks getting ejected with 13 seconds left and LeBron James winning the game with free throws in the final seconds.

"Every night is a big night for us. We play a certain style. There's going to be some friction out there in some games by our style of play and that's okay," Ott said at practice yesterday (via The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin).

Teams have started to try to match the Suns' physicality, and it has paid off in some matchups, such as this last meeting against the Lakers.

The Suns have been struggling offensively as of late, but the most evident area their effort has been lacking is in rebounding, as they have now been outrebounded in each of their last eight games after Saturday's 119-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

This will be a key focus tonight against a Lakers team that also typically struggles with rebounding, but had 24 offensive rebounds in last Sunday's matchup and won the rebounding battle 54-37.

Brooks and James are likely going to highlight the intensity tonight after getting into it several times during the first two matchups between the teams.

Tonight's game tips off at 7:00 p.m. MST.