Due to low back tightness, Bradley Beal won’t be participating in the Phoenix Suns’ third preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Notably, he wasn’t listed on the injury report on Wednesday, making his absence a last-minute development.
On a related note, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Beal opted to sit out the game against the defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, on Tuesday. This was after they started the preseason opener in Detroit on Sunday.
In Bradley Beal’s absence, Eric Gordon will step in as the starter for the Suns, while Nassir Little is taking Josh Okogie’s place in the lineup. Okogie and Grayson Allen will be resting for Thursday’s game.
The starting lineup for the Suns in this match will include Eric Gordon, Devin Booker, Nassir Little, Kevin Durant, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Jusuf Nurkic and Nassir Little have a special connection to this game as they return to Portland following their involvement in a three-team trade shortly before the start of training camp. This trade saw Deandre Ayton move to the Blazers and Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Of particular interest, this game marks Deandre Ayton’s first encounter with his former team since the trade. The new Blazers big man will be in the starting lineup alongside Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and Jerami Grant.
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