The Phoenix Suns have now lost four of their last five games and are 12-10 on the season after a 114-106 loss to the Sacramento Kings last night.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Phoenix has dealt with injuries the entire season with its Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal having not suited up together once this season. Beal has missed the most games (19), while Booker has not played in nine and Durant unavailable for three contests. Booker and Beal alone have not played together yet.
Full Suns’ Record Breakdown with and without the Big 3
- Booker, Durant and Beal: 0-0
- Booker and Durant: 7-3
- Durant and Beal: 1-2
- Booker and Beal: 0-0
- Durant only: 2-4
- Booker only: 2-1
- Beal only: 0-0
Durant missed last night’s loss with a left ankle sprain suffered Tuesday against the Lakers, while Beal has missed the last 12 games, but is beginning to practice with the team as he ramps up his return.
Booker is the only one of the three who is healthy right now. The Suns’ star had 28 points on a very efficient 10-of-14 (71%) shooting night from the floor last night. However, the Suns blew a nine-point halftime lead and were clearly depleted down the stretch against a very strong playoff-caliber team in the Kings.
With all this being said, Booker is not worried about the Suns the rest of the season, as this was only Phoenix’s 22nd game of the year.
“I look at the bench and see Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant sitting there, getting ready to come back out,” Booker said postgame last night.
With tonight's 114-106 loss, the #Suns have now dropped 4 of their last 5 games and are 12-10 on the year, yet Devin Booker is not worried about where they're at currently.
"I look at the bench and see Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant sitting there, getting ready to come back out" pic.twitter.com/47w6v5Cf09
— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) December 9, 2023
Bradley Beal
Durant and Booker are 7-3 in the games they play together this season after making it to the second round of the playoffs last season. Booker realizes the capability these two stars have on the floor together. In the big picture of the season, Booker instead is not focused on what him and Durant can do, but rather excited to see the third member of the Big 3.
“You guys know that one piece can always change a team drastically,” Booker said. “That is not an ordinary piece that we are adding either, that is Bradly Beal. Me and KD (Kevin Durant) have played together, sure. But we have not had Brad out there. One person can change everything, the whole landscape and the spacing. Obviously, I can keep saying that I cannot wait until he comes back, but making sure that he is healthy and ready to go before he does.”
The Suns and their fans have pretty much had to play the waiting game up until this point, but it is very likely we could see these three on the court together soon.
Yesterday’s game was the start of a five-game homestand, so both Durant and Beal will have access to the team’s facilities to get right until the team next travels for a road game – Dec. 19 at Portland.
Devin Booker Has 28/7/7 on 71% Shooting, But Suns Lose 114-106 to Kings without Kevin Durant
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
