Playing the Thunder typically isn’t a way for struggling shooters to regain their rhythm, but Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns will try to defy that Friday when they visit Oklahoma City in NBA Cup action.
Booker comes into the game shooting just 43.4 percent overall and 34 percent from 3-point range, and he has hit 40.3 percent of his shots overall and 25.9 percent from deep over his last seven outings.
The four-time All-Star had shot 49.3 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent on 3-pointers over his previous two seasons.
With the Suns playing without Kevin Durant, who suffered a left calf strain last Friday against Dallas, Booker has received more attention from opposing defenses.
In Wednesday’s 127-104 loss at Sacramento, Booker was just 6-of-16 from the floor to finish with 18 points along with five assists. Booker said after that game that he needed to trust in his teammates more to make plays around him and not try to force the action himself.
The Suns have dropped two of their last three games — both losses came to Sacramento — since starting 8-1, and Durant isn’t the team’s only significant injured player. Bradley Beal missed Wednesday’s game with left calf tightness, while Grayson Allen was out with right hamstring soreness.
There’s a chance Allen could play at Oklahoma City, but Beal is out. Still, the Suns know they need to be better regardless of who’s available.
“We’re not making excuses or looking for anyone to feel bad for us or anything like that,” guard Tyus Jones said.
Phoenix will try to heat up against an Oklahoma City defense that is holding opponents to just 42.3 percent shooting — the lowest mark in the NBA — while forcing a league-high 19.5 turnovers per game.
The Thunder have had to adjust their strategy with the loss of 7-footer Chet Holmgren for at least 10 weeks. Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture in Sunday’s loss to Golden State. Center Isaiah Hartenstein (left hand), forward Jaylin Williams (hamstring) and guard Alex Caruso (hip) are out as well.
“Obviously we’re playing smaller right now, and we want to be a team that can offset out vulnerabilities with our strengths,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I think sometimes you get tempted, from a coaching standpoint, to focus on all the things that are going wrong. But sometimes the solution is to do your best stuff better.”
Oklahoma City has won back-to-back games since Holmgren’s injury, primarily using the 6-foot-5 Jalen Williams at center. Williams has turned in his two best scoring games of the season, averaging 29.5 points while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor.
Friday’s game is the fifth in a season-long six-game homestand for the Thunder — Oklahoma City is 3-1 so far during the stretch. Phoenix continues a four-game road trip (1-1).
The contest is part of the NBA Cup. The Suns won their first game in group play, while Friday’s game is the first of the tournament for the Thunder.
