On Thursday, April 6, 2022, at 10:00 PM ET, the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns will square off in a Western Conference duel at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
The latest Injury Report for Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns
THE NUGGETS REPORT
On Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets will play home to the surging Phoenix Suns in an effort to clinch the Western Conference’s top seed.
While they’re 2-1 against the Suns this season, the most recent loss came on March 31 in Phoenix, a 100-93 defeat for the Nuggets.
Denver’s star Nikola Jokic has missed the past three games with a calf injury, including that one.
On Tuesday, the Nuggets welcomed back Jokic, but they lost 124-103 to the lowly Houston Rockets on the road. In 25 minutes, Jokic scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Not only did Denver lose the game, but star guard Jamal Murray suffered a sprained right thumb in the process.
It’s possible that Murray won’t play again until the playoffs. His calf injury has him labeled as questionable for Thursday’s game, the same as it has Jokic.
The Nuggets (52-27) haven’t been very impressive over the previous month, as evidenced by their 6-8 record in that span. After losing to Houston, head coach Michael Malone was shaken up.
Jokic, a candidate for a third straight NBA Most Valuable Player award, contributed to the problem by committing eight turnovers.
After taking a narrow lead into halftime, the Nuggets were blown away by a score of 68 to 44.
We got off to a good start, but we just let it slip away,” Jokic remarked. “They won by a landslide. We were unable to score even when we had good looks at the goal. It was a lopsided game since we struggled to score and committed several turnovers and fouls.”
Unfortunately, Jokic may not play on Thursday against the Suns in Phoenix because of right calf soreness.
After playing 25 minutes in his comeback to action on Tuesday after missing the previous three games with a calf injury, Jokic may be forced to sit out again on Thursday.
DeAndre Jordan, Zeke Nnaji, Jeff Green, and Thomas Bryant, among others, will see increased playing time if he is unable to contribute.
For today’s game against the Suns, the Nuggets will be without Jokic, among other injured players.
- Collin Gillespie (Lower Leg): Expected to be out until at least Apr 15
- Jamal Murray (Thumb): Game Time Decision
- Zeke Nnaji (Knee): Game Time Decision
RELATED: Kevin Durant’s injury status announced by the Phoenix Suns
THE SUNS REPORT
The Suns have a chance to extend their winning streak to seven games and prevent the Nuggets from clinching a playoff spot in the series finale of their four-game season series.
The Suns (44-35) have won four straight games by double digits, including two by 20 or more, and are therefore very close to clinching the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.
Kevin Durant’s regular inclusion in the starting lineup for Phoenix has helped the team find its footing.
The current victory run has included four victories since Durant returned from an ankle ailment, and the Suns are a perfect 7.0 while he is on the court.
After scoring 35 and 30 points in the previous two games, Durant was held to 18 points in Tuesday’s 115-94 win against the visiting San Antonio Spurs.
After being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns, he has averaged 25.6 points per game while shooting 58.2 percent from the field.
Against the Spurs, Durant scored only the fourth-most points for his team. Leading the charge were Devin Booker (27 points), Chris Paul (22), and Deandre Ayton (19).
Paul scored 20 points for the first time since January 28 against the Spurs, when he scored a season-high 31 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the field (4 of 6 on 3-pointers).
Torrey Craig, a reserve for Phoenix, contributed 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds, giving him his fourth double-double of the season.
Fortunately for the Suns, nobody got wounded in today’s game.
