© Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
PHOENIX – In a Western Conference that rarely gives a team a night off, Saturday night’s matchup between the Phoenix Suns and Nuggets arrives as a test of survival and substance. On paper, the headliners feel muted as Phoenix enters without defensive rookie Ryan Dunn, superstar newcomer Jalen Green, and Mark Williams, who has been their anchor at center.
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Oct 25, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards (2) passes the ball ahead to guard Collin Gillespie (12) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Denver isn’t much healthier, juggling its own availability issues. But dig a layer deeper, and this matchup still delivers something the standings can’t show, which is a blueprint for who these teams become when the usual safety nets vanish.
Oct 25, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) passes the ball as he is defended by Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the first half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Phoenix’s challenge is both psychological and strategic. Without Green’s spacing or Dunn’s perimeter disruption, the Suns are forced to reveal whether their offensive flow is system-driven or star-dependent. The data says it’s a little of both. Despite the injuries, Phoenix still ranks among the league’s most efficient half-court teams when it keeps turnovers down, but that margin evaporates quickly when it’s forced into improvised lineups. Tonight becomes a referendum on resilience on whether the Suns can generate the kind of connective basketball that scales, or if they skid into iso-heavy habits.
Oct 25, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) makes a shot in the lane against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) during the second half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
The fan-centric truth is simple for Suns fans, and that is that games like these tell us who can adjust when the season’s script inevitably goes sideways. Injuries aren’t an excuse anymore; they’re part of the terrain. The scoreboard will settle the result. The habits forged tonight will settle something bigger.
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
