After a stunning loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Denver Nuggets 104-97, improving to 43-30. It was a group effort, with Kevin Durant leading the way with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Behind KD, the team played great defense and hit their shots, shooting 50 percent from three-point range.
The Suns have had nothing short of a weird season. They have lost to the Spurs three times, and in the past, they’ve been in dogfights with struggling teams such as the Wizards and Blazers. Over the course of the season, it has been very confusing to be able to tell what the real identity of this team is. But, with the playoffs coming up shortly, we will be able to answer that question.
Nonetheless, the Suns got the job done in Denver, and many players stepped up to help get the victory. In the wake of Jusuf Nurkic’s injury, new Suns member Thaddeus Young finally got a good run in. He played a total of 18 minutes, and in his time, he scored 6 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. He did this while playing solid defense on the reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. Fans have been eager to see what Thad can do in meaningful minutes, and tonight he gave us a pretty good sample size of what the 16-year vet has left in the tank. Royce O’Neale once again proved that he was a great pickup with his great defense all night, and his 5 points and 7 rebounds. Other contributors were Bol Bol with 8 points, Eric Gordon with 10 points, Grayson Allen with 13 points, including 5 threes, Bradley Beal with 10 points, as well as 7 assists, and a well-rounded performance from Devin Booker with 17 points and 9 assists. Everyone had each other’s back tonight, and they showed what this team can accomplish when playing connected.
When the Suns share the ball, they can be quite fun to watch. The big three has shown that they can all play off each other’s strengths. Bradley Beal took a step back from scoring this season and has now found a role in which he is the playmaker for other guys. But when everyone gels together as one, then you’re cooking with fire.
The Phoenix Suns head to Oklahoma City on Friday night to take on the third seed Thunder. This game poses another tough task for the Suns, and they will look to do something they haven’t done all year, which is beating the Thunder. If all goes as planned for the first time while playing OKC this year, a healthy Devin Booker will be in the lineup to strengthen his team. It should be an interesting last nine regular-season games for the Suns as they look to sharpen up for the NBA Playoffs.
