Suns Rising

The Phoenix Suns survived a furious comeback from the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night and pulled out a 117-107 overtime win over the defending champions on the road. Kevin Durant scored 35 points including eight points in the overtime to help the Suns to the victory. Phoenix led by as many as 22-points in the game but it took a Durant step-back 3-point shot to force overtime with under 30 seconds to play. Bradley Beal scored five of his 16 points in the overtime session.

“I knew coming across half-court, ‘This is do-or-die right here, I’ve got make this shot or it might be game,’” said Durant, who was 14 of 34 from the floor. “My fundamentals were right on that one.

“It felt good leaving my hands. … I just love hearing the crowd go silent. That’s always a good feeling on the road.”

The Phoenix Suns sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings but a strong finish could help them to leapfrog some teams in front of them. The Suns are 13th in the NBA in scoring this season. They are fifth in field goal percentage and eighth in three-point percentage on the season. The Suns are just 22nd in the NBA in 3-point field goals made per game. Phoenix is 16th in the NBA in scoring defense. They are seventh in field goal defense and 13th in 3-point defense. The Suns are 11th in the NBA in total rebounds per game this season. They are just 27th in fewest turnovers on the season.

Key Injuries: SF Josh Okogie, G Devin Booker SF Nassir Little are all out.

Raptors Revamping

The Toronto Raptors were blown out for the second time in less than a month against the Pelicans on Tuesday night, 139-98. Immanuel Quickley led the shorthanded Raptors with 17 points in the team’s worst home loss since 1996. Toronto played the game without All-Star Scottie Barnes as well as center Jakob Poeltl. Barnes will be lost for at least the next several weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured hand. He may not return before season’s end.

Toronto is now mired in 12th place in the conference and unlikely to make a playoff push with Barnes out for an extended period of time. The Raptors are 17th in the NBA in scoring this season. They are 14th in field goal shooting and just 23rd in 3-point shooting. They are also 23rd in 3-point field goals made per game. On the defensive end, the Raptors are 21st in scoring defense. They are 22nd in field goal defense and 19th in 3-point defense. The Raptors are also 17th in total rebounds per game in the NBA as well as 17th in fewest turnovers per game.

Key Injuries: G/F Bruce Brown is day-to-day; Barnes and Poeltl are out.