For the second time in a calendar week, the Phoenix Suns have proven to be unable to progress.
After encouraging the victories on Monday and Friday, the Suns followed by more or less are alike. Saturday was a rough defeat of 127-108 in the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Maybe this incapability can change. But the calendar has just turned to February. The hourglass does not have much sand.
For the moment, Phoenix looks like a team that will finish somewhere near one side or the other from .500. Time will tell us if this is good enough for an eliminatory place or a place of play. It is embarrassing not good enough for what this list has been assembled to do.
Portland is a five-year team in offense and defense that entered a 6-1 tear on Saturday, the best shape that the Blazers have been throughout the season and the first time they have been doing it since the 2020-20 season . They played much better defensively while using a well -balanced attack that had seven players on average.
The test that the defense provided for the Suns, in particular, was a good timing after the best Offensive performance in Phoenix of the season on Friday. Given the athletics, length and speed of the Blazers, it was a difficult stylistically match for Phoenix if Portland continued to excel in the defensive level.
This may seem unacceptable for how talented Suns are. And rightly so. But for those who nod their heads, it is your last verification of reality where the Suns are located.
Phoenix started the game trying to take up the pace that worked so well in his two most recent victories. This time, even if she could not trigger a ball movement and was rather fast shots. These did not go much, while not doing too offensively, the game at the square at 37 at the start of the second quarter.
The Suns then lagged behind by five a few minutes later before Fernee Simons found his tempo, marking or helping at 11 points through the next five possessions of Portland. It was a 3:51 near the first half, Phoenix produced only two points to follow 15 at halftime.
A record of 2-6 on the second match on a back to back placed.
Devin Booker looked like an old friend again, armed with the pep in his step we learned, taking this in the third trimester to a level that could certainly bring the Suns back in a winning position. He presented all 15 Phoenix points in the first 4 in the third quarter, reducing only Portland to 10 thanks to no defensive energy and a surprising lack of execution.
The Blazers came out of an expiration time producing 3S following consecutive in the area to create the biggest lead in the game, 16. Toumani Camara de Portland then chose Booker in Half-Court for a Dunk of escaped, concluding Definitely things. Even with 17 minutes remaining in the match, it was the agreement. There was no second quality punch to come.
In a tradition that one would imagine to exasperate certain fans of Suns, Phoenix showed great energy by trying to recover in the game, without abandoning. It is better than the alternative of course, but at the same time, despair really only emerges when the game is practically finished. Portland had 98 points in three quarters.
Booker broke his ass to successfully shake the funk in which he was during the first two months of the season. This is not enough to remove the Suns. He finished with 37 points and is 23 shy to spend Walter Davis as top scorer in the Suns, a feat that he will probably perform Monday in a revenge match against Portland.
The main Portland, Scoot Henderson and Simons ball staining stations looked comfortable all evening. This was one of the underlying weaknesses of Phoenix this season, allowing initiators to make themselves comfortable and confident due to a lack of physics and resistance in the cover of the ball screen.
A good alternative to honest this rhythm is that the bigs meet them at the level of the screen or even the trap, but Nick Richards and Mason Plumlee do not do so. Jusuf nurkic can stretch but this situation is self-implored. Oso Ighodaro can, but that leaves the Suns even more sensitive to the glass. Portland’s ability to create high quality looks in the third quarter to fight against Booker’s radiators was a decisive strategic choice to force Richards to be in the right place in his covers. He fought a lot.
Defenders on the ball must also be much better. Bradley Beal and Booker are the pair that is the size and the agility to do so to the guards. It is a mixture of not bringing this level of intensity or the defensive match in general. Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones and Royce O’Naale do not have these features.
Ryan Dunn does it. However, he is the one who really loses minutes with everyone in good health. Part of this makes sense, since Dunn’s lack of shot throws the spacing of the Suns. And it is still only a recruit. Veterinarians have all the subtleties he learns.
But he gives the Suns a faster and stronger wing as a ball defender. Portland started three of these. It was also a game where the Suns have faded in Blah Energy for thrusts, where Dunn and Richards can really help. Despite all this, Dunn barely played until the fourth quarter.
To emphasize this more, a more problem on the discreet side was to force the reversals, and it was obvious on Saturday. The Blazers are 29th as a percentage of turnover and had three of their nine reversals through the three quarters that the match was tight, the third time this season, they maintained the number to a figure.
The fast-crew points were 29-7 Portland, helped by an advantage of 24-10 in reversal points.
