The Phoenix Suns continue to play embarrassing basketball.
The Phoenix Suns looked outmatched and lost yet again. It felt like the same game we’ve seen over and over again all season long. Decent start only to fall flat, and then get steamrolled due to lack of effort. Rinse and repeat.
Phoenix is now 35-40 and 1.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament. Their next five games?
Not only did Phoenix drop the game, but they lost Kevin Durant to an ankle sprain in the third quarter. He would not return.
Top Performers
- Devin Booker — 28 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 12-17 FG
- Bill Kennedy — One great ejection call
- Alperen Sengun — 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 6-11 FG
- Jalen Green — 33 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 9-17 FG
Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
First Half
The Suns got off to a strong start, matching every punch Houston threw in the early moments. They looked in control, and the defensive effort was there in the opening five minutes of action.
Narrator: Things would soon change.
Book getting crafty early pic.twitter.com/rgBkqWKQ4G
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 31, 2025
Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson got off to hot starts, combining for 16 points in the opening quarter on just 13 shots.
Phoenix let their foot off the gas pedal towards the end of the first quarter, with Houston getting out in transition for several easy buckets to storm out in front. An 11-0 run pushed the Rockets back out in front.
Houst led 32-24 after the opening quarter. Booker led the Suns with 7 points.
The Rockets picked up on that momentum into the early moments of the 2nd quarter, extending their lead to 13 at 37-24.
Phoenix’s defensive effort stalled, leading to several easy looks from deep for the Rockets, and they capitalized. A pair of Jeff Green triples extended Houston’s lead to 15 points.
Devin Booker was the lone bright spot for the Suns in the opening half, scoring at ease from all over the court. He scored his first 13 points on just one miss (6-7 from the field).
Book Club is in session pic.twitter.com/gqpYiTBZiu
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 31, 2025
The Rockets picked up the intensity a bit and took complete control of the game.
The Suns got into a scuffle with Dillon Brooks (shocker). Or should I say, Dillon Brooks got into a scuffle with the Suns? He got ejected while Durant and Richards picked up technicals.
Status alert: Dillon Brooks has been ejected Sunday.pic.twitter.com/no3ptEWKJc
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 31, 2025
Things proceeded to get worse. This nightmare stretch led to a Suns timeout.
Well that was a catastrophic stretch. Suns botched a 3-on-1 fast break leading to a Rockets dunk on the other end, and then Book’s 3rd turnover of the night leads to a pull-up 3 in transition for Houston. Suns suddenly down 23 and the reactions were as bad as you’d expect
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) March 31, 2025
At the half, Houston led 78-49. Things got ugly, fast.
2nd Half
The second half picked up right where the first half left off, with Houston way too comfortable. Phoenix’s body language was rough.
As if things could not get worse, Kevin Durant rolled his ankle midway through the 3rd quarter and struggled to put weight on it. He would not return. We will provide you with an update when we hear back.
KD rolling his ankle here pic.twitter.com/7VrIKvFygn
— Cage (@ridiculouscage) March 31, 2025
The rest of the game went exactly how you’d think it would. Basketball was played. Let’s go with that.
Bol Bol made an appearance at 9:18 in the 4th quarter. The Rockets continued to showboat and embarrass the fightless Suns.
Houston outscored the Suns by 10 in the third quarter. The teams split the 4th quarter, aka garbage time, at 36 apiece. Phoenix continues to struggle with young, athletic teams with size.
The Rockets are a very good team. The Suns are not.
This can’t happen on your home court.
having some fun Alpi can do it all!@alperennsengun | @RocketsTUR pic.twitter.com/9cbfDoE98s
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 31, 2025
Up Next?
The Suns will travel to Wisconsin to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. It’s not getting any easier to close out the season.
Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images
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