Kings-Suns: Kevin Durant out, Bradley Beal ramps up from back injury

With Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal both out against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, the Phoenix Suns will be down to Devin Booker.

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Grayson Allen, a recent starter, will also miss at least the next game due to a groin injury.

Suns head coach Frank Vogel told reporters on Thursday that Durant is out with a damaged ankle suffered in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Bradley Beal is also sidelined, but he was a “full participant” in practice on Thursday, according to Vogel.

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Beal will reach the end of a three-week evaluation period on Friday after the organization shut him down with a nagging back ailment. He has just played three games and has averaged 17.3 points and 3.7 assists.

Durant, 35, has been the healthiest of the Suns’ three players, missing only two games for the 12-9 team.

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Durant battled through an ankle injury to score 31 points on 12-of-17 shooting in 39 minutes as Phoenix was eliminated from the NBA In-Season Tournament.

“We were thinking about taking him out. He wasn’t moving very well… “We’ve had to finish a few games in the last two weeks with a guy trying to tough through an ankle sprain, not at full strength,” Vogel said, referring to Booker’s ankle strain last week against the Toronto Raptors, which led him to miss one game.

Wing Chris Duarte was designated as questionable by the Kings due to left knee pain. Both rookie guard Colby Jones (back) and center Alex Len (ankle) are out.

Phoenix’s loss to Los Angeles and elimination from the in-season tournament set up the Suns’ visit to Footprint Center on Friday at 7 p.m. MST.