Suns injury update. Key player close to return as Phoenix faces Denver

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale didn’t play after his pregame workout on March 22, but it was a good sign in making a return to the floor. The veteran forward is listed as probable with left knee soreness for the Tuesday, March 24, game against the Denver Nuggets at Mortgage Matchup Center. O’Neale has missed the last three games after playing in every previous one.

The Suns (40-32) are seventh in the West, trailing the Nuggets (44-28) by four games for fifth. Phoenix is also four games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves (44-28) for sixth and the Houston Rockets (43-27) for fourth. Phoenix has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota, 2-1, but the Nuggets and Rockets have the head-to-head tiebreakers over the Suns.

Denver is 2-0 versus the Suns with one matchup remaining in the regular season, while Houston is 3-0 against Phoenix. The Rockets and Suns meet one more time on April 7 in Kevin Durant’s return game. "We put ourselves in a tough position to make it to that sixth now," said All-Star Devin Booker, as the Suns dropped five straight games before beating the Toronto Raptors, 120-98, on March 22 to begin a four-game homestand.

"Right now, we just need to focus on playing the right brand of basketball. " "Just body feeling right, honestly. " Devin Booker on finding rhythm early in Suns 120-98 win over Raptors to snap season-long five game skid as he's been playing through a tweaked right ankle.