'See what we can do': Phoenix Suns nearly full strength, face surprising Orlando Magic

The Phoenix Suns aren’t 100% healthy, but it sure felt like it for Devin Booker in Friday’s 133-119 win over Charlotte to begin a six-game homestand.

The Suns (16-15) got Bradley Beal back after he missed five games with a right ankle sprain, shot 62.5% from the field in beating the Hornets and won consecutive games for the first time since last month’s season-long, seven-game win streak.

“It is a game-changer being in full strength,” said Booker as he scored a team-high 35 points, hitting 5-of-7 from 3, in Friday's victory. “The offense was moving, the ball was hopping around, and we were getting the best available shot every time we were down. Guys giving up good shots and passing into great ones. Great players doing that.”

Phoenix continues its homestand Sunday against surprising Orlando (19-12).

“Long, athletic team that can cause so many problems for an offense,” Suns superstar Kevin Durant said. "Using their length getting out and getting turnovers so we got to protect the ball. We got our work cut us for us."

The Magic are fourth in the NBA in defensive rating, but that will be put to the test against the Suns, who have scored a total of 262 points in their two-game win streak.

“I've been on a lot of good teams, but this team, scoring wise, we should be able to walk into games and outscore teams," Suns veteran guard Eric Gordon, who shot 7-of-12 from 3 in scoring 21 points Friday.

“We’ll figure it out on the defensive end, but we’ve got to have some kind of stability somewhere, but we’re figuring it out.”

The Suns registered 34 assists on 46 field goals Friday as they splashed 18-of-30 from 3.

“If I'm hitting the 3 early on or Grayson (Allen) hits a 3 early on or whoever, teams have to respect that,” Gordon said. “With the type of talent we have on the floor, no matter who is on the floor with this kind of team, we should never be slowed down.”

Durant finished with 11 assists while Booker and Beal each had seven dimes.

“I think there are going to be schemes that are going to be centered around trying to limit us three,” Booker said. “I know that is crazy to say, I have never said that before. Those guys who have easy ones, especially early in the game, if you punish them like that.”

The Suns are expected to get Josh Okogie back Sunday after he sat out Friday’s game with a right ankle sprain suffered in Monday’s Christmas loss to Dallas. He's listed as probable.

Damion Lee (knee) has been out all season and still hasn’t progressed to doing on-court work yet as he had surgery on his right meniscus on Oct. 11.

That makes Nassir Little the only player ruled out of Sunday’s game who began training camp healthy.

Little is suffering from left knee soreness that he played through the previous two games against Dallas and Wednesday at Houston.

“When he has an off day, it starts to feel better, but the day after he plays, it’s a tendonitis type thing,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said after Saturday’s practice. “It’s extreme soreness. It’s just something they want to let calm down for a few games.”

The most noticeable part of the injury report is Beal not being on it.

He’s only played seven games mostly due to low back issues, but Beal is back after dealing with an ankle sprain that sidelined him two weeks from when he sprained it on Dec. 15 landing on Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo’s foot on a 3-point basket in the first quarter of a 139-122 loss.

“I’m usually a little faster with ankle sprains, but this one was really tough,” Beal said. “I really tweaked this one. For me, it was definitely frustrating. Dealing with the back and then coming back and feeling good and then be hurt again. Second play of the game, I’m out and you can’t make it up."

Beal scored six points in five minutes versus the Knicks before going down in the first quarter.

“It’s unfortunate, but I think it definitely just helped challenge me a little bit more,” Beal continued. “Challenge my faith a little bit more and just, for me, it gave me a little bit more of an open lens looking at the dynamic of the team where I can fit in and how I can contribute.”

Beal had the same number of points in his return Friday with six on 3-of-8 shooting in 30 minutes, but had seven assists with four coming in the first quarter.

“I loved his floor game,” Vogel said. “He did not force. Lot of times when you come back and you’re trying to get your rhythm, timing, and your legs under you, guys have a tendency to do that, but he didn’t do that. He really played extra pass basketball, just let the game come to him.”

Phoenix’s Big 3 of Booker, Durant and Beal have only played in three games together, but how the Suns played with that trio Friday is what their 7-footer, Jusuf Nurkic, envisioned.

“Exactly,” Nurkic said after going for 24 points and 15 boards Friday. “The owner (Mat Ishbia, GM James Jones and CEO Josh Bartelstein), everybody. Obviously understand the healthy part of the game of basketball and sports, generally. We pray for God to keep us healthy and see what we can do.”

Allen got the start with the Big 3 and scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting (2-of-4 from 3). He has started the last two games the Suns have had Booker, Durant and Beal available together.

Averaging career highs in points per game at 13.2, shooting percentage at 50.4% and 3-point shooting at 45.7%, Allen has started all 26 games he’s played this season.

“He’s not just being a standstill shooter,” Durant said about Allen. “He’s handling the ball, he’s making plays in the paint, he’s making plays off the bounce, in the pick-and-rolls. He probably already did this already, but watching him in Milwaukee and the stops he was at before, it hard to see this type of stuff in his game because of the role he was playing.”

The Suns acquired Allen from Milwaukee in a three-team deal right before training camp that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks, Deandre Ayton to the Blazers and Nurkic to the Suns.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns nearly full strength, face surprising Orlando Magic