Game Recap: Phoenix Suns lose to another lottery team because of course they did

It’s just…unreal.

The Phoenix Suns traveled north of the border for their annual trip to play the Toronto Raptors, a struggling team in the basement of the Eastern Conference standings. But that doesn’t matter when the Suns come to town.

Sunday was yet another brutal chapter in the Suns’ train wreck of a season, a fresh new way to crush the soul of their fanbase. Toronto was one of the last “easy” matchups left on the schedule, and Phoenix still couldn’t get it done. Worse, they got outworked in nearly every way—except for shooting. The Raptors, ranked 20th in three-point shooting, suddenly turned into the 2016 Warriors, draining 20-of-35 from deep, including a ridiculous 8-of-8 in the fourth.

Booker and Beal both dropped 30+, but when you give up 38 in the second and 39 in the fourth, who cares? The Suns fell 127-109, sinking further into irrelevance at 27-30.

Game Flow

First Half

The Suns rolled out Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in the backcourt for the second straight game, and for the second straight game, they stumbled out of the gate. Phoenix started 0-of-5 from deep, while Toronto wasted no time, hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Ryan Dunn saw his first first-quarter minutes in a while, and the Raptors welcomed him accordingly—Grady Dick drilled a three in his face on Dunn’s first defensive possession, then drew a foul on him the very next trip down.

Devin Booker led the charge for Phoenix in the first, slicing through Toronto’s defense for 11 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting. The Raptors brought the physicality, but the officials seemed to think the Suns matched it a little too well. Toronto earned nine free throw attempts in the opening quarter, giving them just enough of an edge to take a 29-25 lead after one.

Toronto came in ranked 20th in the league in three-point shooting, but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the way they lit it up in the first half. The Raptors drilled 10-of-18 from deep, while the Suns clanked their way to a brutal 2-of-13. The math problem was real. Toronto outscored Phoenix by 24 from beyond the arc, and it showed.

Bradley Beal took charge to start the second, dropping 8 of the Suns’ first 10 points in the quarter. He finished the half with a team-high 18, attacking with purpose and efficiency, hitting 7-of-9 from the field. Booker had 0 points in the second.

But Phoenix’s defense? Barely a suggestion. Toronto scored at will. Sure, the threes were falling, but they also torched the Suns in transition with a 14-3 fastbreak advantage. Add in 12 points off Phoenix’s 8 turnovers, and the Raptors cruised to a 67-52 halftime lead, stretching it to 16 at one point.

Second Half

Toronto kept bullying the Suns into the second half, stretching their lead to 19 as they won every hustle play. Loose balls, rebounds, you name it. Phoenix looked stuck in the mud.

But finally, some life.

A 9-0 burst trimmed it to 10, and then a 19-5 surge — capped by a Booker transition three — got the Suns within 5 with 5:32 left in the third. A pulse. A flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Phoenix wasn’t dead yet.

Not surprisingly, it was the Suns’ defense — when it actually showed up — that sparked the offense. It’s the great “what if” of this season. If Phoenix had the focus and toughness to defend consistently, who knows how far they could go? But with the 27th-ranked defense, that’s a glaring, season-defining flaw.

They clawed within 3, only for the turnover bug to bite again, letting Toronto push the lead back to 11. The Raptors swarmed every shot, every pass, making Phoenix earn everything. A 30-21 third quarter gave the Suns life, but they still trailed 88-82 entering the fourth.

The Raptors kept their relentless pace into the fourth, running at every opportunity while the Suns — on the second night of a back-to-back — looked gassed. Phoenix isn’t exactly built for speed, and Toronto took full advantage, beating them to every loose ball and capitalizing on every breakdown.

Still, a 10-0 Suns run cut the lead to two, teasing hope. Then, like clockwork, the Raptors detonated from deep. Chris Boucher, ice-cold for weeks, drilled one. Immanuel Quickley followed with two. R.J. Barrett joined the party. Just like that, Suns down 12 again.

Up Next

The Suns continue their road trip in Memphis on Tuesday night. We shall see you then.

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