The Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets face notable injury challenges as they prepare to meet Friday at 8:00 PM ET at the Toyota Center. Both teams will need to adjust rotations amid multiple absences impacting scoring and defensive schemes.
Phoenix will be without Devin Booker (right groin strain) and Jalen Green (right hamstring strain), while Isaiah Livers (right hip strain) is listed as questionable.
Booker leads the team with 25 points per game, and Dillon Brooks averages 22.3 points and 3.1 rebounds, highlighting the importance of secondary scorers in his absence.
Houston is missing Fred VanVleet (right knee ACL repair), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle surgery), Tari Eason (right oblique strain), and Isaiah Crawford, who is on a two-way G League assignment.
Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun will carry a heavier load, with Durant posting 25 points per game and Sengun contributing 23.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
The Suns are on a one-game winning streak following a 125-108 victory over the Lakers, while the Rockets also enter with momentum after defeating the Sacramento Kings 121-95.
Phoenix holds a 13-9 record, and Houston sits at 14-5, making this matchup crucial for Western Conference positioning.
The teams met once earlier this season, with Houston winning 114-92 at Phoenix on November 24.
