The Western Conference seeding games have intensified with the latest 105-113 defeat Phoenix Suns suffered to the New Orleans Pelicans. Following the heartbreak, the hosts’ Grayson Allen received quite a bit of scrutiny from the media for his underwhelming shooting night from beyond the arc. However, Kevin Durant immediately stepped up to defend his teammate while shouldering the blame for the setback.
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In the recent post-game conference, the 2x champion told Azcentral’s Duane Rankin, “It’s not just Grayson, it’s me. I missed two layups, dunk, three threes that were open, little middies that were open. I feel like we all got good looks tonight, generated good shots tonight… They [Pelicans] made some, we didn’t”.
The display of accountability captured Durant’s leadership quality while portraying an accurate picture of the game. As per ESPN, the Suns registered a field goal percentage of 44.8% compared to the Pelicans 47.1%. While the visitors went 41% from beyond the arc, the hosts shot merely 35.9%. On top of it, the away side recorded fewer turnovers (14) and more points in the paint (44) to secure the victory.
KD’s words highlighted the shortcomings of the Suns in its totality, while Bradley Beal adopted a similar stance. During his post-game conference appearance, the 30-year-old applauded the opposition while showcasing his regret over the defeat. “We had a chance to really kinda setting ourselves up for stand out and playing for the win…We just didn’t make shots either down the stretch. That kinda just hurt us,” he stated.
The statement pointed toward the impact of loss in momentum on an NBA team at this stage of the campaign. Indeed, with the playoffs now fast approaching, this defeat marks a massive blow for the franchise.
The Suns remain on track to a direct qualification to the postseason by holding the sixth seed with a 46-32 record, per NBA.com. However, the likes of the Pelicans (46-32), the Sacramento Kings (45-33), and the Los Angeles Lakers (45-33) trailed behind them. This has paved the way for a dramatic finish to the ongoing regular season as the fans are set to keep an eye out on the upcoming clashes.
