Getty Suns star Kevin Durant
The Phoenix Suns will be without their four best players against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 4.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton won’t play versus the Lakers.
The Suns have already wrapped up the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They will face the fifth seed in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Phoenix will have home-court advantage.
Kevin Durant Wants Chris Paul to Stay Aggressive
After the Suns defeated the Denver Nuggets on April 6 at home, Durant told reporters that Paul needs to stay aggressive on offense.
“It’s very important,” Durant said. “We just need CP to read the game like he always been reading it since he was in college, high school. So whatever the game tells him to do, he gonna go out there and do it. Tonight, makes seven 3s, only two assists. We so used to him gettin’ close to double-digit assists every game, but it’s good when you’re unpredictable.”
A 12-time All-Star, Paul scored 25 points against the Nuggets while drilling a career-high seven 3-pointers. The 37-year-old Wake Forest product is averaging a career-low 13.9 points on the season, but he’s scored over 20 points in back-to-back games.
“It’s a whole new season (playoffs) about to start, so what we doin’ right now, it’s cool for record-wise, but we wanna keep building good habits and stay healthy,” Durant said. “That’s the only thing that’s important to me.”
Since Durant won’t play versus the Lakers, NBA fans won’t get to see him go up against Lakers superstar LeBron James. Durant and James haven’t faced each other since December 25, 2018.
“It’s been amazing,” Durant said about competing against James on April 4. “Just being in the league the same time as him. Just somebody whose a ultimate competitor. Somebody that you inspired by. … It’s always been a mutual respect amongst us two. It’s always been great battles when we play against each other.”
Durant and James are two of the most outstanding players in NBA history. The two legends have combined to win five regular-season MVPs, six rings and six Finals MVPs. Durant and James will both be future Hall of Famers one day.
Legendary NBA Coach Thinks the Suns Can Win It All
San Antonio Spurs legendary head coach Gregg Popovich told Doug Haller of The Athletic that the Suns can win the title this season. Popovich is a five-time champion, so he knows what it takes to win it all.
“You know, with Chris (Paul) being the point along with veterans like Book (Devin Booker) and KD (Kevin Durant), they can get it together,” Popovich said. “He’s a great leader. KD and Book know what it takes, Monty (Williams) and his staff do a great job. They would probably like to have a few more games to get a rhythm down, but they can still get it done, without a doubt.”
The Suns are a flawless 8-0 with Durant in the lineup. KD is averaging 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists with Phoenix while shooting 57.0% from the field, 53.7% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the free-throw line.