Tag: Phoenix Suns

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Kevin Durant Out 2-3 Weeks Following Ankle Injury

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 5: Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns slam dunks against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on March 5, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. The Suns won 130-126. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns have yet to fully take advantage of their new acquisition, Kevin Durant.  And it looks like they are going to have to wait a few more weeks to get their superstar back in action.  Wednesday, March 8th, in front of the hometown fans, Durant rolled his ankle while preparing for the matchup.  The 34-year-old went up for a layup in pregame warmups and awkwardly came down and landed on the floor.  He grabbed at his left ankle immediately.

Durant Slips

The positive moment of that night was that the Suns defeated Durant’s old team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, behind teammate Devin Booker’s 44 points.  Now, the 13-time NBA All-Star, will miss about two to three weeks with a sprained left ankle.

This is the second injury for Durant this season as he sprained his MCL on January 8th while with the Brooklyn Nets.  He was forced to miss almost two months of basketball.  In the midst of his injury, he was traded to Phoenix.

The Phoenix Sun

In his first three games with his new team, the 6’10 superstar picked up where he left off.  Durant helped the Suns win three straight games scoring above 20 points in all three affairs, including 37 in a win over his former teammate Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks.  Phoenix Suns Head Coach Monty Williams feels bad for his new superstar.

“I feel bad for him because he feels bad.  I saw his face and -I’ve been around him so many times-I know what he’s feeling, and I don’t want him feeling that way at all.”

Hopefully, Durant can come back soon as now with him, the Suns are one of the top three teams to win the NBA Finals.  Unfortunately, the former Net has endured several injuries throughout his career.

Durant Injuries

In 2014, Durant was out for six to eight weeks for a Jones fracture in his right foot.  He continued to have minor injuries before undergoing foot surgery.  In 2016, with the Golden State Warriors, he suffered a MCL sprain and a tibial bone bruise causing him to miss the rest of the regular season.  The following year, Durant missed the end of the regular season again with a fractured rib.  In his last year with the Warriors, the veteran suffered a right calf strain and then tore his Achilles tendon shortly after that.

Sometimes, it seems like he just can’t catch a break.

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Milwaukee Bucks Tie NBA Finals in Game 4 Thriller

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks evened things up

It was looking like smooth sailing for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. They won the first two games of the series at home behind strong performances by Devin Booker.

As the series heads back to Milwaukee, however, the Bucks have kept their foot on the gas and brought the series to a 2-2 tie through 4 games. They won last night’s game 109-103.

It should be no surprise that the Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The former contributed 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists to the box score. Middleton exploded for 40 points, adding 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The duo played 43 minutes apiece.

Giannis had the highlight of the night

The biggest moment of the night came in the last couple minutes of the game. Down 2 points, Devin Booker lobbed the ball to center Deandre Ayton in an attempt to tie the game. Antetokounmpo denied Ayton at the rim, delivering one of the most talked-about blocks since LeBron James blocked Andre Iguodala in the 2016 Finals.

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 5 will find both teams attempt to take a 3-2 leads in the series. It will take place Saturday at 9 PM EST in Phoenix.

You can check out highlights from Game 4 below.

Andrew “Jetlag” Preisig | IG @ThankYouJetlag | Twitter @ThankYouJetlag

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Giannis drops 41 in blowout Game 3 win for Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t done yet

Last night, the Milwaukee Bucks returned home to take on the Phoenix Suns in a critical Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Down 2-0 in the series, the Bucks did not back down but delivered a statement victory.

Former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 41 points in 38 minutes for the Bucks. He also added 13 rebounds and 6 assists to the box score. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton also contributed some good scoring, dropping 21 and 18 respectively.

The Phoenix Suns didn’t help themselves too much

While Antetokounmpo was a big proponent of the Bucks’ win, the Suns just didn’t play well. Devin Booker, who scored 27 and 31 in the first two games, only delivered 10 points in Game 3. He did this on 3-for-14 shooting from the field and only made 1 of his 7 three-point attempts. Chris Paul was the leading scorer for the Suns with 19 points.

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 4 of the NBA Finals will take place this Wednesday at 9 PM in Milwaukee. The Suns will look to take a commanding 3-1 lead while the Bucks will attempt to even the series.

In related news, rapper Freddie Gibbs just dropped a NBA Finals-themed freestyle.

Check out some highlights from the game below.

Andrew “Jetlag” Preisig | IG @ThankYouJetlag | Twitter @ThankYouJetlag

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Suns Take Game 2 of NBA Playoffs

Suns-2, Bucks-0

While the NBA finals are far from over, the Phoenix Suns are looking great!  With a fairly competitive game, despite an almost constant lead, the Suns bested the Milwaukee Bucks 118-108 to take home their second victory of the two finals games.

PC: Christian Petersen

The Suns are led by Chris Paul and Devin Booker, both seemingly the top contenders for finals MVP thus far.  Booker dropped 31 points on the Bucks last night, living up to Kobe Bryant’s advice to him to “be legendary.”  The 24-year-old was nearly unguardable last night, draining difficult triples and weaving through the Bucks with ease.

CP3 pulled off 23 points, bringing his finals to a total of 55.  No matter how much pressure the defensive star, Jrue Holiday, applied, Paul nailed some clutch assists and buckets of his own.

Jrue Holiday PC: Joe Camporeale

Fear the Dear or Dear in fear?

While they certainly didn’t get crushed, the Bucks trail the Suns nearly the full duration of both games.  Missing crucial defensive boards and running some poorly drawn and rushed plays, the Bucks have what it takes, they just need more focus at certain moments.  This is best exemplified in Jrue Holiday.  He’s one of the star players and for good reason.  While he brought in 17 points last night and had some airtight defence, he missed a couple of major baskets due to overly quick thinking.

Khris Middleton, one of the clutch Bucks, had a weak 11 point game.  His ability to heat up in the second half remained cold in yesterday’s game, something he’ll likely make up for on Sunday.

Giannis, in a league of his own PC: Christian Petersen

Giannis Antetokounmpo, previously assumed to be out with an injury, proved the opposite.  With an outstanding 42 points, Giannis pulled the Bucks’ weight throughout the night.  His 20-point third quarter is the first 20+ point finals quarter a player has had since MJ in 1993.  However, Giannis inability to make necessary free throws and overzealous three-point shots heavily contributed to their 10-point loss.

The finals are absolutely far from over, especially with the next two games being held in Milwaukee.  While the Suns are blazing hot, the Bucks can easily come back.  We can’t wait to see it!

Jason Heilbronner | Twitter: @JasonHeilbronn1 

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The Phoenix Suns Sweep the Denver Nuggets to Make Conference Finals

Suns in four!

On Sunday, the Suns knocked the Nuggets out of the playoffs entirely and are advancing to the conference finals. With a 4/4 sweep, they have time to prepare to take on either the Utah Jazz or LA Clippers for the bid to make the national championship.

The Suns have proven to be a western favorite. Despite being the second seed, their success against LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ Lakers is no small feat. With team leader and all-time great point guard Chris Paul recovered from his injury, Phoenix is one of the most well oiled machines in the league.

Everybody loves a good playoff villain, this year’s best example being Trae Young on the Atlanta Hawks. However, in the case of Chris Paul, he’s a full on playoff hero. After saving the Suns from losing to the Lakers, he continues to coordinate great play after great play. When the ball goes to Paul, you can expect a great pass, or, especially in the case of last night, a skilled mid range bucket.  Paul had a game-high 37 points while the young star, Devin Booker, brought in 34 himself. Even off the court he’s still a guy worth rooting for; just watch his State Farm commercials!

Defeating the Joker

Though Phoenix is the superior all-around team, Denver is led by this year’s NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. In an unceremonious end to his phenomenal year, the Joker was ejected in the third quarter. After a misinterpreted swat on Cameron Payne, immediately followed by a standoff with Booker, Jokic picked up a flagrant 2 foul. Though the Suns had the series in the bag, with a final score of 125-118, Jokic could have easily extended the series if he stayed in.

As the Suns await the victor of the Jazz/Clippers series, the 76ers are up 2-1 on the Hawks while the Bucks just brought their series against the almighty Nets to a 2-2 tie. This playoffs continues to get more and more exciting! Do you think the Suns will take the title?

Written by Jason Heilbronner