The Phoenix Suns (35-41) face the Boston Celtics (56-20) in the second of a three-game road trip on Friday, April 4, at 4:30 p.m. MST. The game will air on Arizona’s Family (3TV in Phoenix).
The Suns have lost four straight games as they battle for the 10th and final play-in spot in the West. Phoenix is 11th in the conference, one game behind the Sacramento Kings (36-40), which face Charlotte (19-57) on April 4. The Suns are coming off a 133-123 loss to the Bucks on April 1.
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Boston is second in the East and had a nine-game winning streak snapped on April 2 by the Miami Heat, 124-103. That streak included a blowout win over the Suns in Phoenix on March 26, 132-102.
The Celtics were without All-Star Jayson Tatum, who is back for the April 4 game, as is Bradley Beal for the Suns. Beal missed the previous eight games with a hamstring strain.
Check back with azcentral.com during today’s game for live updates below.
Bradley Beal is back in the starting lineup after missing eight games with a left hamstring strain. Two-way player Collin Gillespie had been starting for Beal.
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That was expected, but the Suns are also starting rookie Oso Ighodaro for Nick Richards at center. Richards looked lost in defending the Celtics in last week’s 30-point loss as he wasn’t close to contesting Kristaps Porzingis from 3. Boston went 22-of-52 from deep against the Suns in a 132-102 win.
So, Mike Budenholzer has made the adjustment. Ighodaro is more adept at defending guards on the perimeter on switches and sticking with Boston’s centers, Al Horford and Porzingis. Those two combined to go 6-of-12 on 3s in Boston’s win over Phoenix as Porzingis shot 4-of-5.
The Suns are starting Devin Booker, rookie Ryan Dunn, Royce O’Neale, Beal and Ighodaro. O’Neale and Dunn are more defensive minded than Grayson Allen, who started on April 1 against Milwaukee. The Bucks went 17-of-29 from 3 in their 133-123 win over Phoenix. Richards had started 32 of his 33 games with the Suns, who acquired him in a deal with Charlotte before the trade deadline. He didn’t start in his Suns debut Jan. 18 at Detroit, then started his next 32 games.
Boston is starting guards Derrick White and Jrue Holliday, forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and Porzingis in the middle.
Kevin Durant remains out with a sprained left ankle. He’s back in Phoenix and won’t join the team on the road trip that ends on April 6 in New York. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said Durant is making “good progress,” but hasn’t done any on-court work yet.
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Bradley Beal is set to play after missing eight games with a left hamstring strain. Two-way players Jalen Bridges and TyTy Washington Jr. also are listed out as they played for Phoenix’s G League team, Valley Suns, in the G League playoffs. The Valley Suns were eliminated Thursday, April 3, by Stockton Kings.
Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement) has been upgraded from questionable to available for the April 4 game.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns-Celtics live updates: Phoenix starts two rookies vs. Boston
