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Kendrick Perkins: Suns ‘look defeated’

© Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN analyst and former NBA player Kendrick Perkins has no more confidence in the Phoenix Suns after their 105-93 loss last night to the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they now face an 0-2 series deficit.

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“To the offseason, exit meetings, that’s where they go from here because this a wrap,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today this morning. “When you look at the Phoenix Suns, they look defeated. The Minnesota Timberwolves have snatched their souls, and they’re telling them about it.”

The Suns’ Big 3 finished a combined 18-for-45 from the floor with 12 of the team’s 19 turnovers, while each playing over 40 minutes last night. Devin Booker had 20 points (6-of-13 shooting, 1-of-6 from 3), five assists, three rebounds, six fouls, six turnovers and was a -24 in terms of plus/minus. Kevin Durant was also a -24, as he had 18 points (6-of-15 shooting, 0-of-2 from 3), six rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. Bradley Beal finished with 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting (2-of-4 from 3), six assists, four rebounds and four turnovers and was a -21.

“When you look at Devin Booker,” Perkins continued, “Anthony Edwards told you before this series … ‘I want that title of being the best 2 guard in the league.’ Devin Booker, we know, is one of the most prolific, efficient scorers in the game today. But when you look at him struggling … he has to find a way to make easier buckets.”

Booker is averaging 19.0 points on 37.9% shooting, 5.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 39.5 minutes across these first two games. 

Last night, Perkins tweeted that the Suns’ struggles are not on Suns’ first-year coach Frank Vogel.

He explained why.

“This is not on Frank Vogel,” Perkins said. “We’re talking about a group of veteran guys, especially when you talk about Beal, KD and Devin Booker, who (have) been around the block, who (have) playoff experience, they have to meet the match. Right now, we’re looking at Teacup Poodles walking in the cage with a bunch of Rottweilers.”

Perkins also named Booker and Durant, No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, as his playoff players who need to step up.

There have been a lot of reactions to the Suns being down 0-2 because both losses have exemplified a lack of effort, especially in the second half from Phoenix.

However, the Suns haven’t even played a home playoff game yet.

The Suns have not come back from an 0-2 deficit since the 1993 playoffs in a first-round series against the Lakers. This was a best-of-5 series, so the Suns won all three of the remaining games. Phoenix ended up going all the way to the NBA Finals before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Teams up 2-0 in the NBA playoffs are 416-33 all time, meaning they win 92.7% of the time. Two of these 33 series losses have come to the Suns in the last three years: in the 2021 NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks and in the 2022 second round to the Dallas Mavericks.

Phoenix still believes in itself.

“We got a great team,” Vogel said. “We’ve shown that throughout stretches. We’ve had our bumps in the road as you would expect with a group that’s put together in year one … It hasn’t been an easy run for us, but through those bumps in the road, we’ve responded and gotten better from them. And we played some of our best basketball down the stretch. It’s our first time going through it in the playoffs. Okay, more adversity, we’ll handle it, and we’ll get better from it. I’m very confident in what our games are gonna look like in Game 3 and Game 4.”

Booker and Durant called for fans to stick by them as well.

“Don’t count us out, it’s a series for a reason,” Booker said. “I don’t think any road team (in the NBA) has won so far. I know that doesn’t have anything to do with us, but it’s just the situation that it is.”

“They can’t give up on us right now,” Durant added. “S—, we need them more than anything. I know it’s been disappointing the last couple games, even the season for our fans, but we need you more than ever now coming home for Game 3.”

Game 3 is on Friday in Phoenix at 7:30 p.m. MST, as the Suns will look to bounce back in front of their home crowd for the first time.

Charles Barkley sticks to his take of what is wrong with Suns

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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

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