Suns sharpshooter injury status upgraded ahead of clash against Cavs

PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns sharpshooting wing Grayson Allen has been upgraded to questionable against the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing five games with a left foot strain.

Allen is averaging 10.7 points per game on 43.4% from beyond the arc and has missed 17 games this season. The 6-4 two-way guard last played for Phoenix on March 10, a 120-118 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies where he scored nine points and shot 2-of-4 from 3.

Suns star guard Bradley Beal will miss his third consecutive game with a left hamstring strain that kept him out of their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Coach Mike Budenholzer set Beal’s re-evaluation date for Monday. Mason Plumlee (left quadriceps strain) will also be out against the Cavs. The veteran big man missed their 127-121 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Plumlee’s absence, and Beal and Allen’s for that matter, has opened the door for players like Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro and Cody Martin to play huge minutes and make tremendous impact. Dunn is averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in his last four games. Ighodaro has an average plus-minus of plus-15.3 in 25 minutes per game in his last four games.

Martin, who made his debut with the Phoenix against the Lakers on Sunday after being acquired from Charlotte for Jusuf Nurkic and missing time with a sports hernia, has been a gritty, energetic presence that the Suns have missed all season in just his three games with the team. His defense, hustle and scrappiness have all been infectious and have translated to two straight wins.

Cleveland (56-13), the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed and losers of three straight, is looking to get back to its winning ways against Phoenix (33-37).