Going against a play-in tournament contender quickly made the Phoenix Suns the hunted instead of the hunters. It’s the season finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, marking the second-to-last away game for Phoenix.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Suns are 2-1 against the Thunder this season, with OKC taking the most recent meeting in March. Phoenix is currently enjoying a four-game winning streak as the season wraps up.
The Thunder went on a 9-2 start to kick the first quarter off. Defensive stops from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped OKC jump out to a brief lead.
As it stands, the Suns were able to take the lead and keep a tight hold however, leading at 69-55 at halftime.
Early Foul Trouble
Head coach Monty Williams elected to keep Devin Booker in for the entire first quarter. It may have proved costly, given that Booker was already up to two fouls before the end of the quarter.
Free throw disparity has been an ongoing issue for Williams as he voiced against the Los Angeles Lakers. The first quarter didn’t prove to have unfair foul calling by the referees, as to the point of Phoenix not being necessarily aggressive in drawing contact.
Chris Paul was up to three fouls by the end of the half, with the bench having seven fouls combined.
Offensive fouls continued to plague the Suns as well, causing the momentum they were trying to establish to diminish.
Kevin Durant Looking for the Rhythm
Durant has continued to shake off his extended rest from an ankle injury that saw him out for 10 games. Since returning, he’s averaged 23 points and six rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field coming into Sunday.
The 6’10” forward finished the half with 13 points, three rebounds and four assists. He shot 5-of-8 from the field, finding his rhythm more so in the second quarter.
It’s no secret that the Suns’ success largely revolves around Durant, who Phoenix acquired by letting go of some critical pieces to the roster.
Continuing to find his rhythm will be imperative with four games remaining after Sunday.
