Ankle sprain sidelines Suns Nash for 1 game

The Suns are utilizing their grand plan with Steve Nash earlier than they had hoped.

Nash suffered a mild right ankle sprain in the first half of Wednesday’s 102-100 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Suns GM Steve Kerr said the injury isn’t serious, but the Suns won’t take any chances with the two-time MVP when it comes to turning small problems into bigger ones.

Against his campaigning, Nash didn’t go back into Wednesday’s game. He will sit out practice today and also miss Friday’s game at Syracuse University against the Denver Nuggets.

While the Suns have shelved an early summer idea of resting a healthy Nash in some games, they are determined not to let little problems become big ones with their two-time MVP.

Goran Dragic, who played 19 uninspired minutes against the Hawks, will likely start in place of Nash. Third-string point guard Sean Singletary, who had 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting in 16 minutes, will also get a lot of playing time.

There is a chance that Leandro Barbosa could see some minutes for the first time in preseason, although the idea of him running any plays after just two days of training camp seems remote.

The Suns also played without center Shaquille O’Neal, who Kerr said sat out “for some well-deserved rest.” O’Neal practiced on Tuesday with the team without problems.

O’Neal also sat out a court date scheduled for this morning in Atlanta, after being granted a fourth continuance in a harassment case filed by Alexis Miller – a 23-year-old rap singer who goes by the name “Maryjane” – until mid-November. O’Neal is expected to play against the Nuggets.

As expected, Matt Barnes got his first start of the preseason in place of Grant Hill, although both players logged 28 minutes. Barnes struggled with his shot for the third time in four preseason games (2-for-11) but contributed six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Hill had 13 points and was on the floor down the stretch, hitting the game-winning shot with one of his patented 17-footers with 5.6 seconds left.

It was also another good night for Louis Amundson, who coach Terry Porter said is making it harder and harder for him not to find playing time. The energetic forward had six points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes and iced the game by blocking an Acie Law shot just before the final buzzer.

Amundson has made the most of the extra minutes available due to Amare Stoudemire’s absence, but Porter intimated that Stoudemire could also play at least some limited minutes against the Nuggets.