Duane RankinArizona Republic
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The Phoenix Suns continue to lose without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, dropping their fifth straight, 138-122, to the New York Knicks before a sellout crowd of 17,071 Wednesday night at Footprint Center.
That’s the most points the Suns (9-7) have allowed this season.
They are now 1-6 minus Durant and haven’t won since Durant and Beal have been out with left calf strain injuries. The Suns hope those two can return for next week’s NBA Cup game against the Los Angeles Lakers, pushing them to return but also being careful during their rehab process.
Devin Booker paced the Suns with 33 points. Royce O’Neale broke out 3-point slump with a 5-of-10 effort from deep in scoring 17 points. Jusuf Nurkic returned from a left ankle sprain to post a double-double of 14 points and 12 boards, but the Knicks splattered all over Phoenix’s defense with a 10-of-11 start from the field.
Making their first eight shots, the Knicks (9-6) raced out to a 14-point advantage.
The Suns (9-7) cut that deficit to nine, but New York answered with a 7-0 burst to go up 16 and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the game. The Knicks led by as many as 24 points as they shot 58.1% overall, going 19-of-39 from 3.
Phoenix’s 8-1 start has gone from being impressive to serving a cushion, as Booker called it before Wednesday’s game, to absorb this rash of injuries and consecutive defeats.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s lopsided loss to end a brutal seven-game stretch in 11 days. This was the first game this season Phoenix never led.
Suns made it too easy for Knicks
The Suns came into the season stressing the importance of individual pride on defense.
That was sorely lacking Wednesday night.
Knicks' guard Jalen Brunson gives everyone the business, but he made it look too easy regardless of who or how the Suns guarded him. Remember he dropped what was then a career-high 50 on the Suns the last time he was in this arena in a win. He continued his usual stop-and-start, pull-up, drive and 3-ball offensive arsenal, leading all scorers with 36 points Wednesday.
He got more than enough help.
All five Knicks' starters reached double figures. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double of 34 points and 10 rebounds, Josh Hart went for 19 points and OG Anunoby added 14. Mikal Bridges scored 16 points and Cameron Payne added 12 off the bench against their former team.
The Knicks took some tough shots, but they looked comfortable in doing so. The Suns didn’t stress them out with pressure or make them rethink with physicality.
Phoenix offered minimal rim protection in yielding 60 points in the paint, marking the fourth time this season the Suns have allowed that stat.
Whether it was Hart, Brunson, Anunoby or Towns, when the Knicks decided to attack the basket, they finished or got a good look at the basket.
If that wasn’t enough, Phoenix didn’t get back on defense when turning the ball over. That led to New York scoring 28 points in transition.
In short, the Suns gave away easy ones to a team that was already cooking.
Can Knicks dethrone defending champs in East?
The Boston Celtics made a ring-night statement against the Knicks in the season opener. Tying a single-game NBA record with 29 made 3s, Boston led by as many as 35 points in a 132-109 victory over New York.
They don’t meet again until Feb. 8 at home. Barring injuries, which are happening at an alarming rate this season, that should be a far more competitive matchup the second time around.
Unlike most teams, the Celtics have two guards in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White who can take on the challenge of defending Brunson.
Add Jaylen Brown to the list, which means they can switch everything on the Knicks.
Hart admitted after Wednesday’s game the Knicks must continue to improve on defense. They had their way offensively against the Suns, but still gave up 122 points on 48.9% shooting.
New York has capable defenders in Hart, Bridges and Anunoby, but can those three do the job on Brown and Jayson Tatum? The Knicks are 22nd in defensive rating. That’s not close to good enough to handle the Celtics.
Towns can be New York’s equalizer.
He’s always been a matchup problem because of his ability to shoot 3s and score in the post, but Towns took so many deep ones in the middle part of his time in Minnesota, one thought he was allergic to the paint.
However, he only jacked up 5.3 a game his final season with the Timberwolves, who made a run in the playoffs last season. He’s once again at 5.3 a game in his first season with the Knicks.
That’s a good number for him. There are games he’ll go over that as was the case Wednesday in going 3-of-8, but the key stat for him is 7-of-8 on free throws. When Towns is getting to the line, it means he’s playing physical in the paint and forcing teams to contend with his size in there.
If he can find that balance, Towns will be hell to handle for Boston even with super veteran Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.
Not sure New York has enough quality depth to contend with the Celtics. Cameron Payne is solid as the lineup with him and Brunson on the floor has potential because it gets Brunson off the ball.
Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are out with injuries. With those three, that’s a bench coach Tom Thibodeau can use against the Celtics, but this all comes down to defense.
If the Knicks can bring their physical nature, yet defend the 3, they are the one team in the East who can take down Boston.
Philadelphia is all over the place right now. The 76ers have more than enough with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George to battle the Celtics, but it’s hard to trust they’ll get it together.
Cleveland has been tremendous in its 16-1 start. The Cavaliers are lethal on offense, but they trailed by as many as 21 in losing by three Tuesday in Boston.
Feb. 8 at Madison Square Garden can’t get there soon enough.
What about the Suns?
This is pretty simple.
Phoenix sorely misses Durant and Beal on both ends. The Suns are 19th in offensive rating and 28th in defensive rating in this 1-6 stretch.
The Suns are a bit weary after playing seven games in 11 days. They most definitely can use the five days between games.
Phoenix hopes Beal and Durant can return by next Tuesday's home game against the Lakers and “get back to rolling” as Booker said Wednesday, but it isn’t a given they’re going to reset a return to the form they did to start the season.
Phoenix was winning the close ones, but that also means it wasn’t putting teams away even with Durant and Beal.
They still aren’t a physical team and have problems against size like the Lakers and Knicks bring. The Suns are last in the NBA in points in the paint. That’s not going to cut it even with Durant and Beal.
Teams won’t be able to double up Booker with Beal and Durant on the floor, but scoring isn’t their issue. Defense is. The Suns are 21st in defensive rating through 16 games.
Until they improve on that end in terms of one-on-one defense and defending the 3 (26th in the NBA in 3-point defense) and the paint (21st in point in the paint defense), the Suns will remain a team that relies on offense to win and that’s not going to be good enough to compete for a championship.
Have opinions about the current state of theSuns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin atdmrankin@gannett.comor contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at@DuaneRankin.
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