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Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal suggested Monday night that the Suns overlooked the San Antonio Spurs in a 104-102 road loss.
According to ESPN Andre LopezBeal said: “It’s a disappointment. We came here and laid an egg. We thought it was going to be easy without Wemby. We just got our ass kicked. They came out aggressive and so did coach [Frank Vogel] told us they would and we didn’t respond. Well, we did, but we couldn’t resist their blows. »
At 16-56, the Spurs have the worst record in the Western Conference this season, and that’s with No. 1 overall pick and likely 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama playing in 63 games and achieved impressive numbers.
Wembanyama did not play on Monday due to an ankle injury, but Spurs still managed to spring a surprise.
Phoenix entered the game with a 42-29 record this season, but the loss dropped them to 42-30, and they now sit in eighth place in the Western Conference standings, a half-game behind the Dallas Mavericks , sevenths, and sixths. places the Sacramento Kings.
With the top six teams advancing directly to the playoffs and avoiding the play-in tournament, a loss to an undermanned Spurs team could prove important to the Suns in the final standings.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both had big nights for the Suns, totaling 65 points, but they didn’t get much support from their supporting cast.
No other starter scored in double figures, including Beal, who finished with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting, plus six assists and five rebounds.
Beal also left the game with just under three minutes remaining after straining his right ring finger, but X-rays came back negative and he expects to play in the Suns’ next game, according to Lopez.
Additionally, starting center Jusuf Nurkić left early in the third quarter with a sprained ankle, making an already thin Suns team even more devoid of depth.
Vogel expressed his belief that the Suns were prepared for Monday’s game, but called the loss “unacceptable.”
While no game is a guarantee in the NBA, a meeting with a Wembanyama-less Spurs team was already considered a win for Phoenix by most.
Now, the Suns find themselves in a tough position to play winning basketball and secure a top-six seed in the West.
Of their remaining 10 games in the regular season, all of the Suns’ matchups will be against teams currently in the playoffs, including the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets, who face them next on Wednesday.
