For the first time since Christmas Day 2018, LeBron James will face Kevin Durant on an NBA court Thursday night. It’s the kind of big game the NBA loves to schedule — and put on national television — during its opening week to grab a little attention in a football-dominated television landscape.
However, a little luster came off this showdown when the Suns announced that both starting guards — Bradley Beal and Devin Booker — would be out due to injuries, the team announced.
Expect Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon to start in the Suns backcourt against the Lakers.
Beal missed the Suns’ opener against the Warriors after he suffered a “tweak” during practice before a preseason game against the Lakers in Palm Springs (he did not play in that game and has been limited since). Booker played through a left big toe injury to score 32 in the Suns’ opening night win against the Warriors (and he added eight assists), but it caught up with him and Booker is now out. He is officially listed as out with “left foot soreness.”
These are legitimate injuries — not load management — and while Phoenix may be cautious with a timeline for the players’ return, the Suns want to be playing in June so they don’t want to push through injuries in October.
Durant will play and is excited to finally go up against LeBron in a game that matters again.
“It’s a mutual respect there for each other’s game. So that usually just brings the best out of everybody.”
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 26, 2023
-@KDTrey5 on playing against LeBron James for the first time since 2018
📺 KD's full shootaround media availability: https://t.co/2ICPCYFWBV pic.twitter.com/sxaqUGKsoS
