The Phoenix Suns took care of business on New Year’s Day against the injury-ridden Portland Trail Blazers, and they did so basically without their top two scorers.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Not only was Kevin Durant out with right hamstring soreness, but Devin Booker had one of his worst shooting nights of the season. He ended the game with just 10 points on 4-16 shooting.
Yet this did not matter, as the Suns bench stepped up in a big way to help guide them to a blowout win over the Trail Blazers.
A major turning point in the game came early in the 2nd quarter, with the Suns trailing by 9 points. Frank Vogel, turning to his bench, got exactly the type of boost that his team needed to pull away and never look back.
Led by an electrifying performance from Bol Bol, which ignited the crowd inside the Footprint Center, Phoenix quickly went on a 14-0 run. After allowing the Blazers to put up 29 in the 1st quarter, the Suns held Portland to a mere 32 points combined between the next 24 minutes.Â
The Suns’ bench ended the game with 36 points, nearing a season high. They managed to pull off this performance just two nights after they combined for a season-low six points.
Because of this, Frank Vogel awarded his bench the game ball, telling his team, “Listen, bench guys, you guys get the game ball. Bool. Keita. Menzie, I know you started, but you were in there during that stretch. JO. You guys all working hard to stay ready, getting your opportunity. We struggled in the first quarter, but that second quarter, went on an 18 to 4 run. That decided the game for us.”
"Bench guys, you guys get the game ball."
🎥 Views inside the locker room following last night's win! pic.twitter.com/O6CxklZd7j
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 2, 2024
This was the first time all season that the Suns’ bench was awarded the game ball.
