Johnson, McGee probable for Suns-Grizzlies game
MEMPHIS – The Phoenix Suns are almost fully assembled.
Cam Johnson (right quad contusion) and JaVale McGee (non-COVID illness) are listed as probable for Friday night’s game at Memphis as the Suns (62-14) are a win away from setting the franchise record for victories in a single season.
Johnson has missed 13 straight games with the leg injury he suffered March 4 against the Knicks. Johnson scored a career-high 38 points in that game as he hit a 31-footer off the glass at the buzzer to stun New York, 115-114, at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
JaVale McGee has missed Phoenix’s last two games, but he and Johnson both made the trip to Golden State, where the Suns edged the Warriors to tie the franchise record for victories set by the 1992-93 team led by Charles Barkley and matched by the 2004-05 “Seven Seconds or Less” squad orchestrated by Steve Nash.
Johnson and McGee both practiced Thursday in Memphis.
Frank Kaminsky (knee) has missed Phoenix’s last 63 games while Dario Saric hasn’t played all season after suffering a torn right ACL in Game 1 of last year’s finals.
With the NBA’s longest active win streak of nine straight, Phoenix is also on pace to set an NBA record for best road mark in a single season.
The Suns are 31-6 on the road this season with four away games remaining.
The 73-win Warriors went 34-7 on the road in their record-setting 2015-16
season.
Phoenix’s final four away games are Friday at Memphis (54-23), Sunday at Oklahoma City (22-54), April 6 at the Clippers (37-39), who have Paul George back from injury, and April 8 at the Jazz (45-31), who have fallen to sixth in the West as they’re on a five-game losing skid.
Memphis has won its last six games, but is without All-Star guard Ja Morant (sore knee).
The Suns and Grizzlies split their first two games this season. This will be their final matchup of the year.
The Suns have the No. 1 overall seed locked up while Memphis has secured the No. 2 seed in the West.