Beal and Nurkic questionable for Sunday
ORLANDO — The Phoenix Suns came out of Friday’s game with more than just an 133-131 road loss to the Indiana Pacers to snap their seven-game win streak in which they led by as many as 17 points in the first half.
Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen all got banged up.
Beal (nasal fracture) and Nurkic (left thumb sprain) are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic (23-22) while Bol Bol (right foot sprain) and Damion Lee (knee) remain out.
Allen isn’t on the injury report as he grabbed at his right knee after a hard fall on an offensive foul call with 1:37 left in the game, but he finished the game.
Beal took a hit to the nose from Myles Turner’s elbow on a drive in the third quarter that left him on the floor bleeding profusely.
He left the game with 8:08 remaining in the third, returned with 10:32 left in the fourth and played the remainder of the game.
“Probably hardheaded a little bit,” said Beal about returning the game. “I was able to just run up and down. I didn’t feel any concussion like symptoms or anything. I just can’t breathe out of my nose. Blood just keeps coming down, but as long as I can just get up and down, I was cool. I was going to try to fight it out.”
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant both commended Beal for returning to the game for the Suns (26-19).
“Been in that situation, I did it in the playoffs,” said Booker in talking about Game 2 of the 2021 Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Clippers when he broke his nose colliding with Patrick Beverley.
“I told (Beal) that’s the only reason I came back in the game because it was the playoffs,” Booker said with a laugh.
“So, he’s better than me. Hope he feels better. Gets healthy.”
Beal ended the game shooting 5-of-13 from the field for 12 points. Clearly not himself, Beal went scoreless in the fourth on 0-for-5 shooting, missing both his 3-point attempts.
“He’s been sacrificing and doing everything we need him to do since he’s been back,” Durant said about Beal, who has played in just 21 games due to injuries.
“He’s just the ultimate team player. He’s aggressive on offense when we need him to, guards up when we need him to. He does everything. I knew he was going to try to come back and play. I was right there. It was a bad hit, a bad
hit. That shows how much he loves the game and how tough he is to come back in there and play for us.”
Nurkic said jammed his left thumb twice as he didn’t play in the fourth quarter after checking out with 3:44 remaining in the third.
After the game, Nurkic said the X-ray was negative and his thumb wasn’t broken.
“I jammed it in the first quarter, I tried to go and jammed it in the third quarter,” said Nurkic, who has only missed two games this season due to personal reasons after the passing of his uncle. “It sucks but I’ll be alright.”
Nurkic said was defending Turner on the play he jammed his thumb the
second time against the Pacers.
“That drive of Myles Turner coming full body on me,” Nurkic said. “Wasn’t a foul. Not even our ball.”
Eric Gordon returned to action against the Pacers after missing two games with right wrist soreness. He scored 14 points with 12 coming on 4of-4 shooting in the first half (2-of-2 on 3s).
The veteran guard went 1-of-5 in the second half, missing all four of his 3point shot attempts.
Bol will miss his eighth straight game while Damion Lee (knee) hasn’t played all season. The Suns are hopeful Bol returns during this seven-game road trip that ends Feb. 4 at Washington.