Suns Rule Out 3 Key Players vs Bucks

The Phoenix Suns will be without two of their three stars and a key rotation player for the beginning of their three-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Superstar forward Kevin Durant did not travel with the team after spraining his left ankle in Sunday’s 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters Durant isn't expected to join the Suns on the trip, but is hopeful to have him back before the end of the regular season, according to The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin.

Bradley Beal will miss his eighth-straight game with a left hamstring strain, despite originally being upgraded to questionable. Beal suffered his injury in Phoenix's March 16 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and has been out for every game since.

Royce O'Neale will also be out for tonight's game, as he was a late scratch with an illness.

The Suns' season looked to take a turn after they won four-straight games after Beal went down, but now they have lost their last three in blowout fashion. Their last win came against the Bucks in Phoenix by way of a Devin Booker game-winner last Monday.

Every game has been a must-win for Phoenix, and now they are even more so, as the Suns have a 35-40 record and are one game back of the final Western Conference play-in spot with seven games left. 

Finding a way to turn things around will be even more difficult without Durant, as the Suns are 2-11 this season without the 15-time All-Star.

Tonight's game tips off shortly after 4:30 PM Arizona time. The Bucks will notably be without Damian Lillard, who is out for the season with right calf deep vein thrombosis.