00:00Phoenix Suns fans, Friday night is set to deliver a massive game at Footprint Center,
00:05and the stakes could not be higher. The winner of this play-in matchup against the Golden State
00:10Warriors will officially secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket.
00:14As we look ahead to tip-off, the availability of two key Suns players hangs in the balance
00:19based on Thursday's official NBA injury report. Grayson Allen is currently listed as questionable,
00:25and his status is one we need to monitor closely. He was sidelined during Tuesday's loss to the
00:30Portland Trailblazers, as he continues to manage a left hamstring issue, the report has updated his
00:35condition to a strain, which is a slight escalation from the soreness designation used previously.
00:41In terms of what he brings to this offense, his production from beyond the arc is well documented.
00:45Over 51 regular season contests, he has averaged 3.1 made 3-pointers on 8.9 attempts per game,
00:52considering the Suns converted just 9 of 25 attempts from deep against Portland.
00:58That specific combination of volume and efficiency from distance is something this
01:02team may rely on heavily to advance. He's also coming off a regular season,
01:06where he averaged a career-best 16.5 points per game. Also appearing on the report as questionable
01:12is center Mark Williams. He did start against the Trailblazers on Tuesday, logging 22 minutes of
01:18action and finishing with 4 points on 2 of 3 shooting. He supplemented that scoring with 4 rebounds,
01:243 blocked shots and 2 assists, and he did so without committing a single turnover. He is being
01:29listed with left foot soreness, which is worth noting, given that he dealt with a stress reaction
01:36in that same foot earlier in the season. Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, Williams set new career highs this
01:42year with 55 starts, and 60 total appearances. During that stretch, he posted averages of 11.7
01:50points on an efficient 64.4% shooting from the field, along with 8 rebounds, and just under 1 block
01:57per contest, switching focus to the visiting Warriors. They are also navigating some significant
02:02availability questions of their own. Kristaps Porzingis, who joined Golden State at the NBA trade
02:08deadline, is listed as questionable due to right ankle soreness. This comes after he played 28
02:13minutes on Wednesday and delivered a strong all-around line of 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting,
02:19in addition to 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. It is important to remember that the Warriors enter
02:24this game as the number 10 seed, having defeated the Los Angeles Clippers to earn this opportunity at a
02:31postseason berth. As for the rest of their frontcourt depth, backup center Quinton Post has already been
02:37ruled out due to right foot injury, management. Furthermore, the team remains without Jimmy
02:42Butler, who is out following right ACL surgery, and Moses Moody, who is sidelined after left
02:48patellar tendon surgery. As we await the final determination on player availability just before
02:53game time, it leaves us all with the same thought running through our minds. Given how critical spacing
02:58and perimeter scoring will be against a disciplined Warriors defense, just how different does this
03:02Suns offense look if Grayson Allen is unable to suit up tonight.
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