PHOENIX – Receiving major bench contributions from both Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen, the Phoenix Suns won 123-115 over the Atlanta Hawks.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Beal led the Suns (17-19) with 25 points and both Allen and Kevin Durant scored 23 apiece. Devin Booker achieved a double-double with 20 points and 12 assists.
Even though they lost, the Hawks (19-19) had seven of their 10 players who end up with double-digit points. Trae Young clinched 21 points and Clint Capela finished with a double-double, 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Here are the key takeaways from the Suns starting a three-game home stand on a high note:
-The Suns rolled out the starting lineup with Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee in it for the first time at home inside Footprint Center. The rookie Dunn was able to get six points and seven rebounds while Plumlee had two points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal.
-Getting started on the right foot, Phoenix went on a 12-0 run that sparked an offensive explosion by Durant in the first quarter. 14 of the Suns’ 38 first-quarter points were by Durant who shot 5-for-7 (71.4%) from 3.
Jan 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
-Returning to the Valley, former Suns forward David Roddy had everything clicking. With 11 points off the bench for the Hawks, Roddy was 4-for-5 (80%) from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from three
-Both on the injury report before the game, Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanović were driving forces in a comeback for Atlanta in the second quarter. Down by seven, the duo both scored 13 points each in the first half. Young was dealing with right Achilles tendinitis and Bogdanović had a left lower leg contusion coming in.
-Getting back into the game, the Hawks’ efficient 3-point shooting saw the deficit shrink enough before they eventually took the lead. From behind the arch, Atlanta was a remarkable 12-for-18 (66.7%) in the first half and kept taking deep shots since the Suns found it hard to contain them.
-In his third game off the bench, Beal continued to show his effectiveness in the role. Talking over different plays with his teammates, being aggressive on defense and showing high effort, Beal came away with 25 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a block and a team-high three steals.
-Though his scoring hasn’t been at the elite level it has been in previous seasons, Devin Booker’s playmaking has been noticeably improving as of late and that was shown on Thursday. It took Booker three quarters to get a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.
Jan 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) against Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
-Struggling for a majority of the season, Allen got his shooting touch back. Going 7-for-8 (87.5%) from the field and 5-for-6 (83.3%) from deep, Allen posted 23 points, two rebounds and one assist.
-For the second game in a row for Phoenix, the Suns gave up 37-plus points in the second quarter and lost the lead. The Hawks went into halftime with a 72-68 lead after outscoring Phoenix 41-30.
-Going under the radar, Hawks guard Vít Krejčí tallied 12 points, six assists and three rebounds.
-The second half was going back-and-forth with the Suns having a slight edge. Just when one team scored a bucket, the other one responded. Phoenix soon extended the point difference, but had to keep an eye on the Hawks who were scrapping to the end.
-One of the most significant things that happened in the game was that Jusuf Nurkić didn’t play. After coming back from a three-game suspension two games ago, Nurkić was demoted to the bench and didn’t see any action against Atlanta, sparking rumors that a trade may be coming.
-Keeping the turnover number low over the past few games, Phoenix lost the ball when being too aggressive and committed 16 giveaways.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, ASU Athletics and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
