Grayson Allen is available tonight for the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets after being listed questionable with a knee injury. The opening tip was set for just past 8:00 p.m. ET, with the game available nationally on NBC/Peacock.
Allen had missed Phoenix’s last two games, and the knee issue has lingered since the All-Star break. He has been one of the Suns’ most productive perimeter pieces this season, averaging 17.2 points, three rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, so his return gives Phoenix another shot creator in a matchup it has already struggled to solve.
Coach Jordan Ott said Allen has to “feel right” because he “plays at such a high level,” adding that the Suns “love what he does for our team.” Ott also said Phoenix has to “move bodies” and use different movement patterns to create more chances “out of concepts, instead of just play based,” a sign the Suns want Allen back not just healthy, but working inside a more flexible offense.
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That need matters against Denver, which had won both prior matchups with Phoenix and entered with a four-game streak against the Suns. Phoenix also got Royce O’Neale cleared after he had been probable, while Ryan Dunn was ruled out before tipoff with a right groin injury, leaving the Suns to manage one return and one absence as they try to break the pattern.
For Phoenix, the immediate question is whether Allen’s knee holds up well enough for him to reclaim his usual workload after two games out. If it does, the Suns get one of their most efficient creators back at the exact moment they need him most against a Denver team that has already shown it can dictate this matchup.
