Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards was ruled out after sustaining a right calf injury while warming up to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
The 7-footer is coming off one of his best games in a Suns uniform. He put together an 18-point, nine-rebound performance that also included three blocks in just under 28 minutes in a win over the Chicago Bulls.
The win saw Phoenix tie the Dallas Mavericks in the standings and, thanks to a 3-1 head-to-head tiebreaker, move into the final play-in spot.
Friday’s game will pose a much tougher challenge than the previous two, the first consecutive games won by Phoenix since January, as the Cavaliers boast a 56-13 record one game back of the league’s best.
In addition to Richards, Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain), Mason Plumlee (left quadricep strain) and Grayson Allen (left foot strain) were also ruled out.
Suns rookie Oso Ighodaro replaced Richards as the 5 in Friday’s starting lineup. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Ryan Dunn and Collin Gillespie rounded out the rest of the starting rotation.
Cavaliers injury reports vs. Suns
Cleveland’s only reported injury is left knee soreness for Jaylon Tyson, the brother of ASU wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. He will be unavailable for the contest after being added to the injury report hours before tipoff.
Suns-Cavs tips at 7 p.m. Listen to the action on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app or online.