PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns will be shorthanded tonight against the Houston Rockets.

Jordan Goodwin, initially ruled doubtful with a calf injury, was officially downgraded to out pregame.

Rasheer Fleming, questionable with a left ankle, is available.

Opening tip is scheduled for 7:00 pm MST at Mortgage Matchup Center.

The Rockets enter tonight's battle against Phoenix as favorites even in spite of having their own share of injury issues. Both of Steven Adams and Clint Capela are out tonight, leaving a hole in Houston's big-man rotation after Alperen Sengun.

For a Suns team looking to build off their best defensive performance of the season vs. Orlando, that could be big.

“You could talk process, process, process. And we do believe there’s steps to take, so it feels right and looks right, both. But you do want results," Suns head coach Jordan Ott said this week.

"The goal is to win the game. We feel steadily improving, even tonight. It wasn’t a full 48, but we were getting closer. Defensively is where we have to hang our hat. We know it helped us last year. This is a defensive-minded group. We have to continue to hammer some of those things that we don’t have, you know, size across the board. We know that we have to guard the ball and we have to rebound. That’s going to be the two things that we’re going to harp on all season.”

Tonight should feature some extra fireworks with Dillon Brooks and Kevin Durant facing each other, as the two haven't been shy on sharing their respective feelings towards each other.

“For me, I'm not laying down to nobody saying nothing, especially a player,” Brooks said (h/t The Arizona Republic).

“Media is one thing. A player speaking on my name, about something that happened to me. I wouldn't speak on him if it happened to him as well. Anyways, it’s just going to build the juice up and I can't wait.”

You can read more about that here.