The Suns Vs Warriors matchup will proceed with a notable injury absence as Phoenix starter Mark Williams was ruled out of the play in game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday with foot soreness, according to reports.
Grayson Allen and Kristaps Porzingis remained listed as questionable with ankle soreness while Quinten Post stayed out with a foot injury, and otherwise both teams have all nonseason ending players available to play, the preview said.
Phoenix enters the game with a tangible rebounding concern, having ranked 27th in defensive rebounding percentage in the regular season, the report said. Williams appeared in 60 games and averaged a team high tying 7.4 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes, and his absence forces the Suns to hand minutes to Oso Ighodaro and rookie Khaman Maluach.
Ighodaro offers better passing and perimeter mobility than Williams, and the Suns have a plus 6.3 net rating with Ighodaro but a minus 6.1 net rating with Williams, as reported by Cleaning the Glass. Maluach averaged 8.9 minutes across 46 regular season games and drew more playing time late, including a 14 rebound game against the Mavericks and an 18 point, 14 rebound effort in the regular season finale against the Thunder.
Implications For Matchup And How To Watch
The Warriors may try to exploit the mismatch on the glass by attacking the offensive glass, after outrebounding Phoenix 187 166 across their four regular season meetings, the report noted. Golden State’s front line of Gui Santos, Draymond Green and either Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis could hold an advantage against a Williams less Phoenix frontcourt, though the Warriors also rely on multiple guards under 6 5 in their rotation.
The winner of Friday’s elimination game advances to the playoffs to face the No 1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder while the loser will be eliminated. Broadcast information lists a 10 p m ET start and 7 p m PT start with live streaming available on NBA League Pass, and sportsbook lines showed Phoenix as a 3.5 point favorite with a minus 160 moneyline and Golden State plus 135, as reported by the play in preview on Yahoo Sports.
