On Sunday, the Phoenix Suns suffered an unfortunate 127-118 loss to the Sacramento Kings in overtime. After center DeMar DeRozan made a basket during overtime, Suns player Bradley Beal had a near-injury scare. After the game, Beal brushed off the injury talk in front of reporters.
The Suns fought hard to protect their home floor without Kevin Durant, who was listed as out due to a calf strain. Devin Booker and Beal stepped up their game and both finished with over 20 points. Booker scored 23 points on 40.9% shooting from the field. In contrast, the three-time All-Star scored 28 points on 50% of his shots.
The injury scare happened at the beginning of overtime. DeRozan went up for a lay-up but unfortunately landed on Beal’s leg. The Suns star was in visible pain but shook it off while he was on the bench. Look at the video below to see the sequence between the stars.
Bradley Beal is hurt, watch the clip where it happened.pic.twitter.com/XCfMkLsz7V
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 11, 2024
After the game, Beal assured the media that there was nothing to worry about what happened with the Kings star. The star recalled that he initially couldn’t apply pressure on his knee but got the hang of it after a few moments.
“It feels a little sore,” Beal said about his knee. “But X-rays were negative, which is the best thing I could ask for. So probably just a bad bruise or something.”
According to Beal, the impact from DeRozan’s play was absorbed by his knee.
“It was my knee. I think DeRozan shot off-balance… just a freak play.”
"It feels a little sore. But X-rays were negative, which is the best thing I could ask for. So probably just a bad bruise or something."
Bradley Beal talked about playing through the knee injury after DeMar DeRozan fell into his leg: pic.twitter.com/hqvO3zsqHr
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) November 11, 2024
The Suns will take on the Utah Jazz on Tuesday to start the Emirates NBA Cup.
Phoenix Suns star addressed what the team needs to do while Durant is out
Durant is expected to miss at least two weeks with his injury. Because of this, the Phoenix Suns are without their leading scorer this season. KD produces 27.6 points for the team and is the player they rely on to close out games.
The Suns must change their style of play in his absence. After their recent defeat, Booker discussed how the other players should take over for him.
“You can never replace what he brings to the table,” Booker said. “Everybody just has to do a little bit more. It’s a different style of basketball without him out there. It’s tough to cover up everything he does.”
"Everybody just has to do a little bit more. It's a different style of basketball without him out there."
Devin Booker on Suns playing without Kevin Durant, who will be re-evaluated in two weeks with left calf strain. #Suns pic.twitter.com/KhdUxXwBoB
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 11, 2024
Some players on the roster have stepped up their game against Sacramento. Tyus Jones finished with 22 points and four assists on 60% shooting from deep. Rookie Ryan Dunn had a great night defensively, as he took on the assignment of guarding DeRozan.
For more sports content:
Follow me on X at @BarbecueBro, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics and @GridironHeroics. You can also reach out to Reign Amurao via email at reignkarlmarcamurao@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
