Suns To Rise For Play-In Spot

Durant vows to 'figure it out' as 11th-placed Phoenix prepare to face in-form Houston

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PHOENIX - The Phoenix Suns will be desperate to give their play-in hopes a jolt when they host the red-hot Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on March 30 (March 31, Singapore).

Phoenix (35-39), who have dropped their last two games, are 11th in the Western Conference, one game behind the Sacramento Kings.

The Suns missed an opportunity to move into 10th place on March 28, when they lost 124-109 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

Kevin Durant scored 23 points, but fellow superstar Devin Booker was held to 10, matching his season low.

With Bradley Beal missing his sixth straight game due to a left hamstring injury, second-year guard Collin Gillespie stepped up with career-highs of 22 points and 10 assists in 26 minutes.

Durant is averaging 26.8 points per game to be the league's seventh-highest scorer this season and Booker's 25.3 average ranks him 12th, but no other Sun is inside the top 50.

If Gillespie can continue to provide a genuine third offensive option — particularly if Beal's injury issues continue — it will augur well for the Suns in their fight to climb the standings.