The Phoenix Suns fought hard for the majority of the night, but 21 turnovers and the Orlando Magic’s dominance in the fourth quarter proved to be what decided a 115-110 loss.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Losing all three games in the past four days despite leading each one at halftime, the Suns (12-11) fell to 1-9 without Kevin Durant. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 25 points and Tyus Jones added 21 points.
Taking over the matchup late, Jalen Suggs tallied 26 points while Goga Bitadze was huge with 21 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double. The Magic improved to 10-0 at home this year.
Here are the key takeaways from the Suns struggles continuing in Orlando:
-A little over a month ago, the Magic received the tragic news that superstar Paolo Banchero suffered an oblique tear on Oct. 30. Missing their All-Star already, the Magic saw rising star Franz Wagner sustain the same injury as Banchero as both are out indefinitely.
-While it was the second half of a back-to-back, Jones didn’t show signs of fatigue after a 13-point performance against the Miami Heat on Saturday. Leading the Suns with 10 points in the first quarter vs. Orlando, the Duke product amassed 21 points, six assists and one rebounds.
Tyus Jones in the first half:
☄️ 16 PTS (Game high)
☄️ 4-5 3P
☄️ 5 AST
☄️ 1 REB pic.twitter.com/nREdWz8kA5— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 9, 2024
-The questionable officiating Phoenix dealt with on Saturday rolled over to Sunday. Shaking his head profusely, Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer couldn’t believe multiple fouls that were and were not called, especially one on Grayson Allen in the second quarter. The officials went to review before that particular call stood and Phoenix lost its challenge. Numerous times, the referees left multiple players and Budenholzer flabbergasted.
-Evenly matched with the amount of injuries each team is dealing with, both Orlando and Phoenix were battling neck-and-neck and traded bucket for bucket. The Suns were without Durant (left ankle sprain), Ryan Dunn (left ankle soreness) and Jusuf Nurkić (right thigh contusion).
-Just when the Magic regained the lead in the second quarter, the Suns formulated a 10-2 run before halftime.
-Things got heated when Goga Bitadze complained to a referee about not getting a foul after a layup. Both he and Royce O’Neale started to trade words before they had to be separated. Bitadze then received a technical foul for the encounter.
-While Jones stood out from the rest in the first half, Allen and Bradley Beal both quietly had solid showings in the first two quarters. Allen didn’t miss a shot in the half, going 2-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 from three and 3-for-3 on free throw attempts for eight points. Beal was 5-for-7 (71.4%) in the half, good for 11 points.
Grayson drains it! ???? pic.twitter.com/R4BmdlqbHI
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 9, 2024
-Coming off the bench, Cole Anthony was aggressive on defense and gave the Magic some life on offense. Guarding any player no matter the height differential, he contributed with 14 points, three assists, two blocks, two rebounds and one steal.
-Crashing into the paint and posing a threat to the Suns all game long, Bitadze reached a double-double by the halfway mark of the third quarter with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 center finished nine offensive rebounds.
-Phoenix had a halftime lead in the past two games against the Heat and New Orleans Pelicans but suffered third-quarter collapses in each and lost. Up by 11 72-61 in the third quarter in Orlando, the Suns’ woes continued as a 19-9 run by the Magic saw them trail 80-79. Despite a switch in momentum, Phoenix did bounce back and led 87-84 at the end of the quarter.
-His numbers overall were not flashy, but Mason Plumlee was reliable on defense. The first-year Sun blocked four shots and had a steal along with seven points, six rebounds and a steal.
-With the game going back and forth, the intensity levels rose and the Magic fed off the loud roar from the home crowd. Scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter, Jalen Suggs energized the fans with his late-game heroics and effort on both ends of the court.
and1 ????@jalensuggs now has 14 points in the 4th quarter ???? https://t.co/pgWOHf9kuM pic.twitter.com/1LEbkOocG0
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 9, 2024
-When they were within striking distance, the Suns struggled to maintain possession. Forcing passes more when the pressure rose, Phoenix turned the ball over seven times in the fourth quarter to add to the 21 giveaways overall, giving up 23 points as a result.
-Just when they were trying to pull off a comeback, the Suns were issued a big blow as Beal fouled out with six fouls. Orlando outscored Phoenix 29-21 in the final frame.
-As there was 35.1 seconds left, Booker drove up the basket and took a hard foul under the rim after Suggs jumped up for a block. Fortunately for the Suns superstar, he was able to get up after a few seconds to avoid an injury scare.
Takeaways from Suns’ 3rd quarter struggles haunting them again, losing 121-111 to Heat
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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
