ATLANTA – The Phoenix SunsThe defensive issues resurfaced Tuesday night.
They gave up 3s and offensive rebounds whereas falling to the Atlanta Falcons122-117, at State Farm Area to finish their three-game profitable streak that began in opposition to the identical group final week.
Devin Booker scored a team-high 35 factors and Kevin Durant scored 31 factors, together with 14 within the third quarter on 6-of-7 taking pictures, however the Suns misplaced the sport on protection.
The Hawks went 17 of 41 from 3 and scored 27 factors off 20 offensive rebounds.
Trae Younger scored a game-high 43 factors, 6 of 12 from the sector and 11 of 14 from the free throw line to steer the Hawks (20-19), who gained with out Jalen Johnson (proper shoulder irritation ) .
Onyeka Okongwu had a 20-20 double-double with 22 factors and 21 rebounds together with 10 on the offensive glass.
The Suns (19-20) haven’t gained in Atlanta because the 2013-14 season. Phoenix continues its five-game street journey Thursday in opposition to Washington in a return matchup for Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones, who performed his one yr with the Wizards final season.
Listed here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s sport.
Offensive rebounds result in large Atlanta 3
Merely put, groups not often win after they quit offensive rebounds and 3s.
The stats are likely to go hand in hand as a result of the perfect time to shoot a 3 is after an offensive rebound whereas the protection is struggling.
The Hawks had three offensive rebounds at 3, together with one late within the third and two within the fourth, which have been large in figuring out the end result.
Phoenix timeout.
What does this imply?
First, begin with Younger. He chases 3s. So the 36-footer he hit on Beal with 1:28 left is a kind of the place he seems on the time and the rating and thinks he made a 3 right here and it is over.
Dagger. Do.
Dig deeper and Younger set the tone within the pick-and-roll by committing fouls that led to him going 11 of 14 from the road.
The Suns’ incapacity to defend opens the best way for everybody.
Then Okongwu outplayed the Suns on the glass, as Mike Williams did within the first half of Sunday’s win over Charlotte. He had 22 factors and 13 rebounds, together with six on the offensive glass within the first 24 minutes of the sport. The Suns slowed it down within the second half as Williams solely managed to attain two factors and did not have an offensive rebound.
That was as a lot part of the victory because the 9-0 to shut the match. Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro battled, however the guards did their half on the defensive boards.
It was a collective effort. All 5 guys have been on the boards.
I did not be taught the lesson from Charlotte’s victory
The Suns did not make the identical dedication Tuesday and paid for it. It is a group that’s already small and Mike Budenholzer has put even smaller lineups on the sector.
So rookie Ryan Dunn cannot get a defensive rebound in 22 minutes.
5 rebounds for Plumlee and Ighodaro will not be sufficient. Booker cannot have the identical variety of defensive rebounds as guys greater than him.
5 outcomes when permitting offensive rebounds
Giving up offensive rebounds can do 5 issues to a group.
One, the apparent: giving up a further possession.
Second, they will result in giving up a large open 3.
Third, it reduces all of the momentum wanted for a defensive cease.
Fourth, it offers the opposite group the power to maintain crashing the boards.
5, reveals that you’re not a bodily group.
Add all of it up and the Suns must get harder on the defensive boards as a result of they already aren’t essentially the most athletic group and lack dimension.
Having Jusuf Nurkic would assist. He missed a second straight sport resulting from sickness and was not with the group to begin the journey. He is the group’s finest defensive rebounder, however the Suns have already been ravaged on the offensive boards with him on the courtroom.
He may help, however Nurkic will not be the moment answer. The identical will be mentioned for Bol Bol.
Followers are clamoring for the 7-footer to play, however protection and rebounding aren’t his sturdy level.
This has been an issue and can proceed to be an issue for the Suns except they totally decide to rebounding and going for extra surges.
Damage replace: Beal rolls ankle
Grayson Allen returned after lacking the second half of Sunday’s win over Charlotte with left knee soreness, however Bradley Beal rolled his left ankle with 9:27 left within the third quarter Monday.
Beal ran the courtroom in transition protection and seemed to tackle Hawks winger David Roddy for the rebound. Roddy, who performed for the Suns final season, grabbed the rebound and when Beal went down, he rolled his left ankle.
Hitting the bottom in frustration, Beal tried to stand up. He stood up, however Beal put virtually no stress on his ankle.
The Suns fouled as Beal slowly walked off the courtroom and towards the guests’ locker room.
A couple of minutes later, Beal returned to the bench and sat on the finish of the bench. He then stood up attempting to work on his ankle with stretch tape and at last bought again into the sport with 1:41 left within the third.
He was shifting properly, however Beal shot simply 1 of 4 within the fourth quarter and completed with 11 factors on 3 of 9 taking pictures.
Good signal Beal returned, however he walked with a noticeable limp after the sport.
Do you might have any ideas on the present state of the Suns? Contact Suns insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Comply with him on X, previously Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This text was initially revealed on Arizona Republic: Suns devastated by Trae Younger’s 43 factors, 3 factors and offensive rebounds in defeat
