For the second straight game, the Phoenix Suns encountered struggles in the third quarter and couldn’t stop the game spinning out of control as they fell to Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat 121-111.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Royce O’Neale led the Suns (12-10) with 23 points and Mason Plumlee had 11 rebounds. Grayson Allen (16) and Monte Morris (12) combined for 28 of Phoenix’s 37 bench points in the loss.
Controlling the pace in the second half, Adebayo was at the forefront of the comeback victory for the Heat (11-10), recording a double-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. All five starters for Miami reached double-digit points.
Here are the main takeaways from the Suns issues without Kevin Durant continuing:
-Since Durant (left ankle sprain), Ryan Dunn (left ankle soreness) and Jusuf Nurkić (right thigh contusion) were all out, the Suns had to dig deep once again with player rotation. Phoenix is 11-2 with Durant in the lineup and 1-8 without him.
-Though he played in Miami’s 41-point, 134-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Jimmy Butler has been dealing with a knee injury and still started on Saturday. The Heat superstar tallied 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a block against the Suns.
-Noticeably leading the Heat by example, Duncan Robinson was letting the ball fly from deep as well as driving in the paint when given the opportunity to. Shooting 7-for-12 (58.3%) from the field and 5-for-8 (62.5%) from 3, Robinson had 19 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal.
-With many players contributing as a collective, Phoenix’s highest scorer for the majority of the first half came from an unlikely source. Off the bench, Morris impressed with eight points through the first two quarters, hitting both of his 3-pointer attempts. The backup point guard posted 12 points, four rebounds and one assists in 30 minutes.
-Turning it up a notch after the first quarter, Allen packed a offensive punch for the Suns. While Robinson was flushing 3-pointer after 3-pointer, Allen tried to match his sharpshooting by going 5-for-10 (50%) from the field and 5-for-9 (55.6%) from behind the arch for 16 points.
Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
-The Suns took a 58-53 lead into halftime, but that was with Booker and Beal starting cold, shooting a combined 4-of-16 (25%) in the first half. Firing 6-for-16 (37.5%) overall and 1-for-6 (16.7%) from 3, Booker came away with 21 points. The night did not get any better for Beal, going 5-for-18 (27.8%) and 0-for-6 from deep.
-Whenever Durant has been sidelined with an injury, O’Neale has started most of the time at forward and filled the void. Effective on both ends of the floor, O’Neale finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal.
-The officiating was confusing throughout the night, leaving the Suns players shaking their heads in disagreement with multiple calls.
-Just 20 seconds after halftime, one of the most confusing instances happened against the Suns this season. While the Heat were in possession, the shot clock did not work while the game clock did. It took the officials multiple seconds to realize the issue before a whistle. Fortunately for the Suns, Miami didn’t score on the play.
-Coming out overwhelmingly aggressive, Miami went on a 22-4 run in the third quarter as deja vu started to settle in for the Suns after their tough loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. Phoenix fell 126-124 in its last game where the team conceded 45 points in the third quarter.
-Netting 28 points in the 115-112 loss for Miami in Phoenix, Tyler Herro went to the mid-range game and buckled down on defense. After a 31-point performance against the Lakers on Wednesday, Herro potted 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
-Having his way, Adebayo was a menace in the paint and did not let the Suns have any margin of error. Taking advantage of the Suns going to a small ball lineup, 12 of Adebayo’s 25 points came in the third quarter.
-A huge reason for their woes in the second half, the Suns made multiple confusing turnovers in which they forced a pass more than taking their time when in possession. Phoenix gave up 19 points off of 14 giveaways.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
