Yeah, the Suns got boned again in the third.
The Phoenix Suns once again revealed their foundational flaws, a team brimming with elite talent yet woefully lacking the cohesion required to play connective basketball on the defensive end. After trailing by just four points at halftime, they were steamrolled in the third quarter, surrendering an egregious 45 points, and ultimately fell to the Nuggets, 117-90.
Kevin Durant continued to prove his mettle as an elite scorer, while Bradley Beal contributed a solid offensive outing with 23 and 23 points, respectively. Yet, the glaring issue remains: this team’s defensive fabric is threadbare, incapable of holding up against the demands of modern basketball. At this point in the season, the Suns don’t just struggle defensively. They flat-out don’t defend. Rumor has it even Brophy Prep could hang 120 on them.
There is no doubt in my mind that Brophy Prep could drop 120 points on the Suns
— John Voita (@DarthVoita) December 24, 2024
That’s not to say it’s impossible to turn things around. The talent on this roster, paired with its depth, should make the Suns a team you can never count out. Yet, night after night, they seem to count themselves out. Something has to change — coaching, players, rotations — maybe even a splashy move like adding Jimmy Butler? Who knows.
All that’s clear is this team is as frustrating as it is perplexing. The 2016 Suns, for all their flaws, showed more fight than this group does.
With this loss, the Suns drop to .500 on the season. The team that started 8-1 has now stumbled to a 6-13 record over their last 19 games.
There is no doubt in my mind that Brophy Prep could drop 120 points on the Suns
— John Voita (@DarthVoita) December 24, 2024
Game Flow
First Half
The Suns came out blazing, hitting 11 of their first 15 shots like they had a score to settle. But as quickly as the fire ignited, it fizzled out, with Phoenix missing 13 of their next 16 attempts and finding themselves down by 10.
It was a familiar tale of highs and lows, with Kevin Durant doing his part to keep the ship afloat. 16 first-half points from KD helped trim the deficit to just four at the break.
KD in the first half:
16 PTS
9 REB
2 AST
2 STL
1 BLK⭐️ Vote for All-Star: https://t.co/x55HQeoyG4 pic.twitter.com/mwmuAzrb2Q
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 24, 2024
But lurking beneath the surface was a ticking time bomb: Jusuf Nurkić’s foul trouble. Three fouls in the first half put a target on his back, and it wasn’t long before Nikola Jokić turned the game into a personal showcase. The reigning MVP carved through Phoenix’s defense like a surgeon, leading all scorers with 19 points by halftime and setting the stage for what felt like an inevitable collapse.
Second Half
Phoenix did what they do best coming out of the half. Collapsing. Denver came out swinging, ripping off a 23-12 run. The Nuggets stretched their lead to 16 points with surgical precision, exploiting every defensive lapse Phoenix served up on a silver platter.
Bradley Beal tried to provide a spark, pouring in 10 quick points, but Phoenix couldn’t find the range, couldn’t find their rhythm, and certainly couldn’t find a way to stop the Nuggets from doing whatever they wanted.
The lead quickly swelled to 24 points as the Suns found themselves out-hustled, outshot, and outmaneuvered on both ends of the floor. While Phoenix floundered offensively, Denver had free rein to take any shot they pleased. The third quarter was a complete unraveling, with the Nuggets outscoring the Suns 45-28 and turning the game into a clinic on dominance.
Yet another quarter where the Phoenix Suns give up over 40 points to an opponent.
— John Voita (@DarthVoita) December 24, 2024
More basketball happened in the fourth, but who cares? The Suns don’t. The team scored just 11 points in the fourth.
Phoenix losses.
It’s the Suns and the Nuggets again on Wednesday. We shall see you then Bright Side!