The Phoenix Suns’ start to the final 27-game stretch of the season went as poorly as you could have imagined it in a 121-94 loss to the Spurs. The game is just one of a long 82-game season, but it was a reminder that the Suns, and by extension the Suns fanbase, are cursed.
Most of us Suns fans know the history: The Suns lost the coin flip for the first pick in the NBA Draft the year Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was coming out of UCLA, Stoudemire was suspended for stepping onto the court in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals in 2007, the Kardashian curse, etc. There is always something that happens to us that zaps our happiness.
This season, it has been the seesaw of health for Devin Booker and Jalen Green. With Jalen Green starting his first game as a Phoenix Suns player, it took all but six minutes for Booker to exit the game due to right hip soreness in a game the Suns were completely outplayed the moment he left the game. Maybe it is time to accept that Booker and Green just will not play together this season. The talented guard duo has started and finished a handful of games this entire season.
The only good news from this game was that Green finished the game healthy and looked the healthiest he has all season. He led the Suns with 26 points on 11-of-23 from the field in a season-high 26 minutes. At times, Green was the only Suns player who did not appear bothered by the Spurs’ relentless pressure and elite shot-blocking presence at the rim. The Suns need a big game from someone else to have a chance in this one, and no one stepped up with Allen and Brooks out.
Top Performers
Suns
- Jalen Green: 26 points, 11-of-23 shooting, 2 assists, 3 steals
- Mark Williams: 11 points, 4-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds, 1 block
- Oso Ighodaro: 10 points, 5-of-8 shooting, 5 assists
- Collin Gillespie: 8 points, 3-for-13 shooting, 8 assists
Spurs
- Stephon Caste: 20 points, 8-for-11 shooting, 4 assists
- Victor Wembanyama: 17 points, 8-for-15 shooting, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks
- De’Aaron Fox: 15 points, 4-of-9 shooting, 8 assists
- Dylan Harper: 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting
Game Flow
First Half
Jalen Green’s first start for the Suns got off to a strong start. He scored 7 points in the first six minutes of the game and knocked down his first three. He also had multiple dump-off passes to Mark Williams who had varying success trying to finish against Wembenyama. There were growing pains as well. Green threw the ball carelessly multiple times, resulting in a couple of turnovers, but most importantly, he looked fully healthy and confident moving on the court.
Then the bad news, Devin Booker exited the game and went back to the locker room with five minutes left in the first quarter.
Without Booker, Dillon Brooks, and Grayson Allen playing, the Suns survived offensively for a quarter. The Suns were moving the ball and getting good shots against one of the top defenses in the NBA. Defensively, is where the Suns specifically missed Brooks and Allen. The Spurs guards De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper all attacked the Suns and were effective in getting to the rim and generating easy baskets. Spurs led 30-25 after an Oso Ighodaro bricked floater fell to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Suns’ bench struggled to keep pace. The Spurs started the quarter on a 13-0 run with the Suns’ offense unable to create quality shots with Wembanyama on the floor. With the Suns’ offense sputtering, the Spurs took advantage, getting the ball up the court quickly. Castle led the Spurs charge, scoring 14 points on 5-of-6 from the field and 4 assists. The Suns’ first points in the quarter came on a Royce O’Neale three with 7:30 left in the quarter, followed by a Green 3-point shot to force a Spurs timeout down 45-31.
The only semi-good news from an abysmal second quarter was that Booker checked back into the game with 4:46 left, but he quickly returned to the locker room minutes later.
The Spurs ballooned out to 19 points thanks to a 16-4 advantage in points off turnovers. The Suns committed just seven turnovers, but they were cataclysmic. The Suns, who are second in the NBA in steals per game, got a taste of their own medicine from the Spurs. The ball pressure from the Spurs guards frustrated and disrupted the Suns, who could not get into any rhythm. After multiple defensive breakdowns and Luke Kornet dunks, it was all San Antonio until a late flurry of triples from Jordan Goodwin and O’Neale got Phoenix within shouting distance, down 61-49 at halftime.
Second Half
The second half was all San Antonio. The Spurs turned stops into easy fastbreak layups for the entire third quarter, which the Spurs led by as much as 32. The Spurs outscored the Suns 25-7 in fastbreak points and 18-7 in points off turnovers after three quarters, when this game was unofficially over at 98-71. After a mediocre first half by his standards, Wembanyama made his typical jaw-dropping plays as he easily blocked a circus Green layup and had a monster dunk on the other end. Williams competed hard against Wembanyama, but struggled to finish over the top, and defensively, he was targeted and taken advantage of by the quick San Antonio guards. The usually reliable Gillespie struggled to get his shot off against the superior athleticism of the Spurs guards at times and looked to be second-guessing many of the opportunities he created.
The Suns threw in the towel in the fourth quarter and started playing the young guys. The first four-minute stretch for Phoenix was Green, Gillespie, Ighodaro, Ryan Dunn, and Rasheer Fleming. Then Khaman Maluach checked in for the rest of the quarter. The Suns’ lottery pick scored 4 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and turned it over twice in his eight minutes. Fleming scored 3 points on 1-for-4 shooting and snagged 3 boards.
Up Next
The Suns head back home to face the Orlando Magic on Saturday at 3 pm Arizona time on NBATV.