In their recent two-game stretch, both resulting in losses, the Phoenix Suns have been outscored by a staggering 72-38 in the fourth quarter.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!But the team’s struggles in the final period extend beyond these losses, as a closer look at their season reveals a disconcerting pattern.
Already, Phoenix has lost 9 games this season after ending the 3rd quarter with a lead. This means that half of their losses have been due to poor 4th quarter performances.
Overall, in the final 12 minutes of games, the Suns have averaged a mere 24.5 points, ranking them dead last in the NBA. Additionally, their -3.5 point margin places them at the bottom of the league, even trailing behind the struggling Detroit Pistons, who have only secured three wins.
There is no sugarcoating it, the Phoenix Suns suck in the 4th quarter. It has become so bad that the fact they are a game above .500 is actually surprising.
Delving deeper into the statistics, a thread on X by @RyB_311 sheds light on the extent of the Suns‘ fourth-quarter woes. According to the breakdown, the team is on pace to record the worst fourth-quarter performance in NBA history.
The Suns’ staggering -16.1 net rating in the fourth quarter, if sustained, would mark an unprecedented low, threatening to break an NBA record.
Breaking down various aspects of their fourth-quarter struggles, @RyB_311 highlights that the Suns have:
- Scored the fewest points
- Registered the second-lowest field goal percentage
- Shot the lowest three-point percentage on the fourth-fewest attempts
- Possessed the worst effective field goal percentage
- Secured the fewest rebounds
- Tallied the fewest assists
- Committed the third-highest number of turnovers
- Generated the least number of steals
In essence, the Phoenix Suns are enduring a historically dismal fourth-quarter performance, with deficiencies across multiple facets of the game.
