Jaxson Hayes Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: George, Hayes, Lewis, Capela, Brogdon

February 13th, 2025 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Paul George‘s first season in Philadelphia certainly has not gone the way either party envisioned when the nine-time All-Star signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Sixers last summer.

The 34-year-old forward has missed 19 of the team’s 54 games to this point due to knee, groin, ankle and finger injuries, and he hasn’t been effective lately when active, recording just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 37 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn. After dropping five straight, the 76ers are now tied with the Nets for the sixth-worst record in the NBA.

Appearing on NBA Today on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that George, who has been playing through tendon damage in his left pinky finger, has been receiving injections just to suit up over the past week.

“He’s been doing what he can to be on the court and to try to be available,” Charania said. “I’m told that it’s to the point where he gotten injections to play and compete over the last four or five games. That’s something that players do come playoff time, not necessarily in the regular season.

“ … We can tell that he’s not 100 percent. … Clearly, there’s something that’s been amiss with him, with his body, and we’re seeing that play out. The Sixers, there’s going to be a point in time here where … they’re going to have to have some hard conversations about availability and potentially maybe even shutting a guy or two down in the second half of the season.”

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Already thin on frontcourt depth, the Lakers lost starting center Jaxson Hayes to a facial contusion in Wednesday’s loss to Utah, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). It’s unclear whether he’ll have to miss time as a result of the injury or if he’ll be able to recover during the All-Star break.
Six weeks after fracturing his left tibia in his Nets debut, second-year wing Maxwell Lewis was able to return to action on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The 2023 second-round pick only played 27 seconds to wrap up the victory, but he was grateful to be back on an NBA court so soon after a scary-looking injury. “I’m just blessed and glad it’s over,” Lewis said. “Now, I get to at least start what I was starting when it first happened on Jan. 1, just getting back to playing and my routine. It’s great. I’m blessed to be back.”
The Hawks lost a couple of rotation players to multi-week injuries on Wednesday, but they’re expected to have Clint Capela back after the All-Star break, according to Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks (Twitter link). The veteran center has missed Atlanta’s last nine games due to a back injury.
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s overtime loss to Indiana due to a left leg injury, per ESPN.com. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner was unable to put weight on his injured leg, which is never a great sign.

Lakers Rumors: Williams, Knecht, Sims, Len, Reddish, Wood, LeBron

February 10th, 2025 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

After acquiring Luka Doncic from Dallas at the start of trade deadline week, the Lakers targeted Hornets center Mark Williams in large part because he was “handpicked” by Doncic as the sort of big man Los Angeles’ new franchise player would thrive next to, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Team sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers viewed the 23-year-old Williams as the sort of player who could grow alongside Doncic in the long term while also fortifying L.A.’s frontcourt against Western rivals like Houston, Memphis, Denver, and Oklahoma City in the short term.

Before agreeing to trade for Williams on Wednesday night, the Lakers weighed whether he was worth the steep price it would take to acquire him, given his injury history, McMenamin writes. Head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka opted to pull the trigger, deciding on an “all in” approach to the deadline and agreeing to send Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets for Williams.

As one Lakers source tells ESPN, Williams’ fit was viewed as a necessity on a roster lacking a starting-caliber center, while Knecht’s was considered a luxury, and the club wanted to establish “goodwill” with Doncic to get the relationship on the right foot. There was also some internal debate on how valuable the Lakers’ 2031 pick would end up actually being.

After making the deal with Charlotte, Pelinka expressed confidence when he talked about the deal on Thursday that Williams’ health wouldn’t be an issue going forward: “We fully vetted [Williams’] health stuff. He’s had no surgeries. So these are just parts of, he’s still growing into his body. We vetted the injuries he’s had, and we’re not concerned about those.”

However, after getting him into the building and conducting a physical, the Lakers identified additional concerns with Williams’ health and ultimately decided to pull out of the trade.

As McMenamin writes, there are some people within the Lakers who expressed relief that the deal didn’t end up going through — one team source said the package was “a lot” to give up for Williams and suggested the club “kind of dodged a bullet.” But the voiding of the trade meant that the Lakers failed in their first attempt to satisfy Doncic and will need to repair their relationship with Knecht, according to McMenamin, who adds that there’s a “perception of fumbled execution” based on how the process played out.

“Nobody did the research prior?” one league source said to ESPN. “Why would [Williams] be available that young?”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

The Lakers considered a trade for Knicks big man Jericho Sims before he was sent to Milwaukee and might have had interest in Alex Len, who has agreed to sign with Indiana after being waived by Washington, sources tell McMenamin. Neither big man would’ve been a clear upgrade on the club’s current options, but they’re two more depth options who are now off the board.
Although the Lakers have a full 15-man roster, they still have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to waive a player to bring in another big man. In that scenario, Reddish and Christian Wood would likely be the top candidates to be cut, Lakers sources tell ESPN. “We will find another center path,” a team source told McMenamin. “The path is always there. We just got to put in the work to find it.”
With Williams not coming to Los Angeles, Jaxson Hayes figures to continue starting at center for the Lakers. LeBron James had “privately wondered” whether the 24-year-old was experienced enough to take on that role down the stretch and in the playoffs, sources tell McMenamin. Hayes is off to a solid start — the Lakers have won each of his last seven starts, including all five games since Jan. 30. He also should have Doncic’s support. According to McMenamin, Hayes – who shares an agent, Bill Duffy, with the former Mavs star – was the first Laker to go out for dinner with Doncic after he arrived in L.A.
“When (Doncic) was in Dallas and I was in New Orleans my first few years, they kept trying to trade for me,” Hayes told McMenamin. “New Orleans never allowed it. He was like, ‘Do you remember when we couldn’t trade for you?’ I was like, ‘Do you remember what I told you after every game I played against you?’ After every game I would be like, ‘If you ever need a big, I would love to play with you.’ Just because of the way he moves the ball.”
It “wasn’t lost on James’ camp,” sources tell ESPN, that Pelinka sought Doncic’s input and pursued a trade target he wanted immediately after his arrival. For years, LeBron has wanted the Lakers’ to trade future draft picks to upgrade their roster, McMenamin notes.

Mark Williams Trade To Lakers Rescinded

February 8th, 2025 at 8:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers say their deal to acquire Mark Williams from the Hornets has been rescinded, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). L.A. is claiming that Charlotte failed to satisfy one of the conditions of the trade.

Sources tell Charania that Williams failed his physical with the Lakers due to “multiple issues” (Twitter link). He adds that none of the concerns involve problems with Williams’ back, which caused him to miss most of last season.

With L.A. looking for help in the middle after sending Anthony Davis to Dallas in the Luka Doncic deal, the Hornets agreed to part with Williams in exchange for rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, the Lakers’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

Although both teams announced the trade on Thursday, it remained conditional on Williams and Knecht reporting to their new teams and passing physicals, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

If the trade deadline hadn’t passed, the two teams could have gone back to the negotiating table, as the Sixers and Mavericks did after Dallas didn’t like Caleb Martin‘s physical. However, after the deadline, a trade can only be accepted or voided, not amended, so Williams will go back to Charlotte and Knecht and Reddish will return to L.A. along with the draft assets.

That means instead of having an opening, the Lakers now have a full 15-man roster and are $1.6MM below the second apron. The Hornets will have 14 players on standard contracts, along with Elfrid Payton, who signed a 10-day deal on Friday via the hardship exception.

Although the Lakers are 3-0 since giving up Davis, there are concerns about how the team will get by without a proven center who can rebound and protect the basket.

Jaxson Hayes has moved into the starting lineup over the past five games, and he had another solid outing today with nine points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes in a victory over Indiana. Trey Jemison, who joined the team on a two-way contract last month, logged nearly 12 minutes off the bench and may see regular playing time for the rest of the season.

General manager Rob Pelinka thought he solved that problem when he reached the deal with Charlotte, valuing Williams highly enough to part with his last available first-round pick when there were more affordable centers on the market. Finding a long-term answer in the middle will likely be a top priority for Pelinka this offseason.

The Williams deal is the first NBA trade to be rescinded since the Pistons voided a deal with the Nuggets ahead of the 2022 trade deadline due to concerns about Bol Bol‘s physical.

Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Looney, Payton, Hayes, Bronny, Clippers

January 30th, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II have all been mentioned as potential trade candidates. The Warriors‘ trio put on a show on Wednesday as the team upset Oklahoma City, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic notes. They combined for 60 of Golden State’s 116 points.

Afterward, Wiggins and Looney indicated they’d like to stay put.

“Sometimes it can be disappointing if you want to stay,” Wiggins said. “If you enjoy things somewhere. Your family is here. You got relationships. So it’s not easy. It’s a business.”

“Yeah, I want to stay,” Looney said. “I know what the game is. I’ve been here long enough. My locker mate’s changed a lot of times. It might be my time. Who knows? That’s the NBA. I definitely will not be sleeping that night, whenever that time is for the trade deadline. I’m gonna be up.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes will make his fourth start of the season against Washington on Thursday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. Hayes will fill in for Anthony Davis, who’s out at least a week with an abdominal strain. Hayes will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Bronny James received some first-half minutes against Philadelphia on Tuesday and it didn’t go well, Lakers coach JJ Redick admits. The rookie missed all five of his field goal attempts, committed three turnovers and was targeted at the defensive end. “Maybe put him in a tough spot,” Redick said, per McMenamin. “Flying up yesterday, nationally televised game in Philly and all that stuff. He didn’t play well, but he’s been playing great in the stay-ready games, and he’s been playing great in the G [League].”
The Athletic’s Law Murray breaks down the Clippers’ roster into tiers as the trade deadline approaches. He lists Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac as the only untouchables — in Zubac’s case, he signed an extension in September which makes him ineligible to be dealt this season.

Lakers Notes: Vincent, Finney-Smith, Vanderbilt, Wildfire

January 8th, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though the Lakers lost by 21 points at Dallas Tuesday night, the return of Gabe Vincent provided some good news, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Vincent sat out the previous four games with a strained left oblique he suffered December 28. He went scoreless in 24 minutes, but coach J.J. Redick was happy to have Vincent back on the court.

“Have missed his toughness first of all,” Redick told reporters before the game. “He’s someone that has, as the season (goes on), it seems like he’s got increasingly tougher on the defensive end. His screening takes care of the basketball. Another handler. And then he’s shot the ball really well for a sustained stretch starting with that Utah game (on December 1) when he was in the starting lineup. So we’ve missed him. He’s a pro. It’d be good to get a look at the group with him back.”

Price notes that before the injury, Vincent had been playing his best basketball since joining the Lakers in the summer of 2023. He averaged 7.3 points on 43.9% shooting in his previous 11 games.

Shake Milton replaced Vincent while he was sidelined, and Price points out that L.A.’s rotation is the healthiest it has been since acquiring Milton and Dorian Finney-Smith in a December 29 trade with Brooklyn.

There’s more on the Lakers:

Finney-Smith has only played five games since the deal, but he’s noticed that the Lakers aren’t communicating enough on defense, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. They gave up 119 and 118 points in two road games this week. “We got to do a better job of talking behind guys, giving them confidence so defenders can crawl up in ball handlers and force them to the rim,” Finney-Smith said. “And we got (Anthony Davis) down there, so we got to use it.”
Mismatches have been a problem for the Lakers on defense, as Dallas repeatedly targeted Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht with isolations, observes Johan Buha of The Athletic. The recent return of backup center Jaxson Hayes was supposed to provide another rim protector, but Buha states that Hayes hasn’t been good in that role since he was cleared to play. Jarred Vanderbilt will be reevaluated in a week and Christian Wood is expected to be back soon, but they might not make an impact right away. Redick said Tuesday that Vanderbilt will be eased back into the rotation, probably starting at around 10 minutes per game.
Redick said his family was among the many who had to evacuate Tuesday night due to a wildfire that swept through Southern California, per Stefan Stevenson of The Associated Press. The NBA released a statement regarding the status of Thursday’s scheduled game against Charlotte at Crypto.com Arena, relays Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). “We are in communication with the Lakers and Hornets and continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary related to tomorrow night’s game,” league spokesman Mike Bass said.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, Lakers, Beal

December 31st, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr seems ready to abandon the 11- and 12-man rotations he was using early in the season, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Although Golden State had success with that approach while Kerr experimented to see how his new players fit together, he wants a consistent group on the court as the schedule becomes more challenging.

“Given the stretch we’re in … we’ve got to settle in these next couple weeks,” he said before Monday’s game. “Stick with the same lineup. Same rotation off the bench if possible and see if we can find some rhythm.”

He unveiled the new approach on Saturday, using Dennis Schröder, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green as his closing lineup and giving them all at least 34 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III and Brandin Podziemski made up the rest of the rotation. Jackson-Davis got the start at center and was used for some defensive possessions late in the game.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors need to lean heavily on Kuminga and the rest of the young core to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, contends Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. That’s especially true of Kuminga, who has the best chance of any of Golden State’s young players to become a star. Kroichick notes that Kuminga has displayed more assertiveness recently, compiling 40 free throws and 29 rebounds over his last three games. “This is a young man’s game, we know that,” Kerr said. “It’s a sport that requires so much endurance, physical conditioning and ability to bounce back from aches and pains, and it just gets harder and harder for the older guys. If you don’t have a young core, you’re in some trouble. I probably feel better about our young group now than I ever have.”
The Lakers suddenly have much more frontcourt depth as Dorian Finney-Smith arrived in a trade with Brooklyn and Jaxson Hayes was cleared to return from an ankle injury, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Coach J.J. Redick frequently relied on small-ball lineups, as the team has been without a legitimate backup center since Hayes got hurt. “Night to night, it will be different,” Redick told reporters before tonight’s game. “Jaxson is our backup five. But there may be times that we play small. It’s just the reality. (Finney-Smith) has shown he can guard up. Rui (Hachimura) has really improved from where we were three months ago, playing him at the five in our first preseason game to where he is now. … And we know Doe (Finney-Smith) can obviously play at the five as well. So excited to have options for sure.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had to leave tonight’s game after suffering a hip contusion in the first quarter, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team announced that he wouldn’t return, but no other details were provided.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, O’Neale, Booker, Allen, Kuminga

December 30th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers star LeBron James had a lot of good things to say about his new teammates, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. That duo was acquired in a deal with the Nets over the weekend.

“Obviously, they bring experience, they bring toughness,” James said. “They’ve played in big games and have mastered their roles throughout their careers. I’m looking forward to them getting into our system and making an immediate impact whenever their number is called.”

Coach JJ Redick said he expects both of the new additions to play against Cleveland on Tuesday, Mark Medina of Sportkeeda tweets. He’ll use them in reserve roles.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Redick said Gabe Vincent didn’t practice on Monday due to an oblique injury and is questionable for Tuesday’s game, Buha tweets. Jaxson Hayes (ankle) is probable, while Jarred Vanderbilt participated in non-contact portions of practice and remains out.
Suns forward Royce O’Neale (left ankle sprain) had imaging done on his ankle with promising results but he didn’t practice on Monday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Devin Booker (groin) and Grayson Allen (concussion protocol) participated in 5-on-5 drills on Monday. They could both return to action against Memphis on Tuesday. Booker is listed as questionable, while Allen is probable, Rankin tweets.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent after the season, has pumped up his value in recent games. He’s posted back-to-back 34-point outings against the Clippers and Suns. Kuminga is averaging 21.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest this month. “I just think he’s turning a corner,” coach Steve Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Kuminga, Lakers, Hayes, LeBron

December 28th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns remain short-handed for tonight’s game against Golden State, but they may be close to having a full lineup fairly soon, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. While Devin Booker is missing his fifth straight game with a left groin strain he suffered last week, coach Mike Budenholzer is optimistic that Booker won’t be out much longer. Phoenix has lost three of its last four games without the star guard.

“He’s making good progress,” Budenholzer told reporters before Friday’s game at Dallas. “We feel good about it. He’s still got a little more to go, but he’s progressing as expected.”

Budenholzer added that Grayson Allen is “close” to being ready as he misses his fourth straight game tonight while in concussion protocol. Bol Bol is sitting out a fifth straight game with a contusion that he suffered when he banged knees with a teammate during practice.

The Suns are also without center Jusuf Nurkic, who is serving a three-game suspension for an altercation in Friday’s game. Budenholzer addressed the incident in a pregame session with the media (Twitter link from Rankin), saying it’s dangerous when players continue trying to fight after being ejected.

“You never want these things to even escalate to probably the point that it did,” he said. “The concern about any other continued situations is not good for anybody.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Even though the Warriors lost to the Clippers on Friday night, Jonathan Kuminga turned in one of the best games of his career, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kuminga posted a career-high 34 points, along with 10 rebounds and five assists, and led a late rally that made the game close. Although the Warriors were short-handed with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both nursing injuries, Kuminga continued to come off the bench as coach Steve Kerr used his 18th different starting lineup of the season.
The first 30 games have shown that the Lakers don’t need to make a desperation trade for Zach LaVine, contends Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Swanson views the team’s major needs as a three-and-D wing and a reliable backup center, and recommends pursuing Jazz big man Walker Kessler.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, who has only been active for one of the past 21 games because of an ankle injury, has been able to play five-on-five in practice, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Hayes hopes to be ready for Tuesday’s game against Cleveland if the ankle continues to improve.
Lakers star LeBron James will miss tonight’s game with an illness that also forced him to skip Friday’s practice, McMenamin adds (Twitter link). Gabe Vincent is taking his place in the starting lineup.

Pacific Notes: Brown, Christie, Kings, Fox, Schröder, Lakers

December 28th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Kings head coach Mike Brown tore into his team after another blown lead led to a loss against the Pistons on Thursday. However, Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic write that Brown’s stern post-game news conferences began to wear on players, and that was part of the Kings’ decision to part with him.

Slater and Amick report that there was no malice or specific purpose intended with the timing of the firing, which came as Brown was getting ready for the team’s flight for their game in Los Angeles. Owner Vivek Ranadive was particularly upset with the Kings’ poor play and noted their fall from first in offense in 2022/23 to the middle of the pack last season, but the decision to let go of Brown was general manager Monte McNair‘s, according to Slater and Amick.

The Kings will have a chance to right the ship under interim replacement Doug Christie, with the team boasting the eighth-best offense in the league despite falling to 13-18.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

There is no immediate head coaching search planned for the Kings, Slater and Amick write in the same story. After being named interim coach, Christie will have an opportunity to make a case for the permanent position. Christie’s promotion was a long time coming. Ranadive once saw Christie as a viable alternative to Alvin Gentry (who was eventually named interim coach) after Luke Walton was fired in 2021. Christie has a strong relationship with players and staff and made a lasting impression in Sacramento during his time as a player, commentator and assistant, per The Athletic.
Choosing a starting lineup will be one of Christie’s first tasks as coach, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. The starting shooting guard position will likely come down to Malik Monk, Kevin Huerter or Keon Ellis.
De’Aaron Fox took accountability for his defensive mistake at the end of Thursday’s loss to the Pistons, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports (Twitter link). Fox spoke in front of his teammates and took ownership during the tough slide, teammate Keegan Murray relayed.
Warriors guard Dennis Schröder struggled through his first five games with Golden State after starting off the year hot with Brooklyn. In his last five games, Schröder averaged 8.2 points on 28.0% shooting as opposed to the 18.4 points on 45.2% shooting he posted with the Nets. However, coach Steve Kerr said he’s not worried about Schröder’s play, according to Slater (Twitter link). “You trust who the player has been. It’s a tiny sample size,” Kerr said. “He came to us at a time when we were ice cold. He needs shooting around him. He’s a pick-and-roll player. We were 7-for-38 tonight from three.”
The Lakers are getting healthier, providing Los Angeles a reason for optimism, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes. Jaxson Hayes is now day-to-day and close to returning while head coach JJ Redick said there’s hope both Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt will be able to make their season debuts during an upcoming stretch that includes nine of 11 games at home.

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Lakers, Beal, Dunn

December 7th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kawhi Leonard was able to work out and do some shooting at the Clippers‘ practice facility on Saturday, but there’s still no word on when he might be able to start playing, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Bill Simmons of The Ringer recently stated that Leonard is expected to be available by Christmas, but coach Tyronn Lue refused to offer a specific timeframe.

“(He’s) just doing all the things he’s supposed to. … He’s got to check all the boxes and do all the right things, not skip any steps,” Lue said. “So, when he completes that, then we’ll move on. … He’s getting better. He’s on the floor, he’s doing stuff, but he’s not ready to play.”

Leonard has been plagued by inflammation in his right knee dating back to spring. He was limited to two games in last season’s playoffs, then was sent home from the U.S. Olympic team because of concerns about his ability to play. The Clippers have managed to remain competitive without him — getting off to a 14-10 start that has them sixth in the West — but Leonard’s teammates are as eager as anyone else to see him playing again.

“I know everybody is excited for him to be back,” Amir Coffey said. “We see him getting on the court, going through drills, it’s a good sign.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers could use some reinforcements after ending a road trip with three straight losses, but help may not be coming for a while, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Austin Reaves missed the last four games with a bruised left pelvis and is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest against Portland. Jaxson Hayes has only played in one of the last 13 games due to right ankle injuries, and he’s expected to be reevaluated this week. Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are still recovering from offseason surgery — Vanderbilt is expected to return sometime in early January, while Wood’s timeline is less clear. “There’s no cavalry. No one [feels] sorry for us,” Anthony Davis said. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Just gotta continue to put our head down and grind and work.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal believes he has overcome the left calf strain that has caused him to be in and out of the lineup recently, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal played his second straight game tonight and logged more than 34 minutes. “Feel good, really good,” he said. “Progressing the right way. Minutes have been fine. Body is reacting fine postgame. Feel great.”
Suns rookie Ryan Dunn missed his second straight game with soreness in his left ankle, but coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t believe it’s a long-term issue (Twitter video link from Rankin).