Last night’s road game in Indiana was Devin Booker’s second appearance after returning from his groin injury. Despite dropping 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, the star guard couldn’t help snap his team’s losing streak.
Advertisement
“S**t, the vibes are low, man. We just have to keep fighting,” Booker said after the Suns picked up their fourth straight loss.
“It’s a blessing to even be in this position, but our output is super ugly right now so we have to continue to build. Hopefully, maybe down the season, these moments right here are out the way, we’ve got past them, but you know, right now, we’re in the thick of it.”
"Shit, the vibes are low, man. We're just have to keep fighting. It's a blessing to even be in this position, but our output is super ugly right now. We continue to build. Hopefully later in the season, these moments right here are out the way, got past them." Devin Booker. #Suns pic.twitter.com/OlSKRCd7Hx
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 5, 2025
After an incredible 8-1 start to the season, Phoenix didn’t expect to field a 15-18 record at this point of the season. Unfortunately, the Suns are 1-7 over their last 8 games and have struggled to hold their own against the other title contenders in the league.
A major contributor to their woes has been their lack of size and effort on the glass. Across the season, the Suns are ranked 18th in defensive rebounding, but over their last 10 games, they have slipped to the 25th spot in that category.
The fewer rebounds Phoenix can corral, the more opportunities they open up for their opponents on the offensive glass. This has led to the team allowing more second chance points over the last 10 games without the size of Jusuf Nurkic.
The Pacers game marked the end of Nurkic’s suspension. He missed three games due to his involvement in the altercation against Dallas after missing nearly two weeks of basketball in December due to a thigh contusion. It was the veteran center’s third injury of the season, typifying the sort of poor luck that has plagued Phoenix all year.
Prior to this week, Booker missed six games due to a groin strain and during that stretch, the Suns’ offense struggled to get going. Even when Nurkic returns, it’s unlikely that the Bosnian Beast will take Phoenix over the hump.
Barring the first few weeks of the campaign, the team has lacked any continuity in their rotations and it shows when the team’s superstars face late-game traps.
Kevin Durant has already addressed the increased defensive coverage he faced in the absence of Booker and Bradley Beal, but even with all three stars back in the lineup now, the Suns offense is going to need more time to re-calibrate.
“There were some possessions where good things happened, but not enough of them,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the loss in Indiana. “I think the second quarter, we got in a rhythm a little bit playing 4-on-3 and taking advantage of the spacing. We couldn’t get to that as well in the third quarter.”
The Pacers secured the win for themselves during that third quarter, outscoring the Suns 40-28. They were able to get away with blitzes and double teams as Phoenix’s superstars struggled to take advantage of the numbers game.
With Nurkic set to return to the lineup for their next game against the Sixers, Budenholzer expects the team to end its losing skid at four games. We’ll find out if they’re successful on Monday night.
