Phoenix Suns can’t stop the bleeding, drop fourth consecutive game: By the Numbers
Dec 13, 2014, 4:56 AM | Updated: 4:56 am
When it rains, it pours.
The Phoenix Suns are in a bit of a funk right now, and even a visit from the lowly Detroit Pistons was not enough to pull them out of it.
Blown leads early and blown leads late led the Suns down the unenviable path of being only the second team to lose at home to the Pistons this season. Phoenix lost its fourth consecutive game, all by six points or fewer, falling 105-103.
The Suns had no answer for Andre Drummond, as he dropped 23 points and grabbed 14 boards in a winning effort. Phoenix was outrebounded 47-37 and it came back to bite them late in the game.
A winless two-game homestand is not what the Suns had planned in a month with more road games than home games. Phoenix must play with more consistency from game to game and quarter to quarter to break out of this recent slump.
Here’s how the Suns were vanquished by the numbers:
2
Detroit had two players record a double-double on Friday night: Andre Drummond (23 points, 14 rebounds) and Josh Smith (12 points, 11 rebounds).
7
Phoenix had seven players in double-digits Friday night, including all five starters. Goran Dragic led the way with 18 points, while Markieff Morris finished a close second with 17.
8
Eight different Suns played at least 20 minutes on the floor. Of the 10 Suns who saw action, only Alex Len (12:03) and Anthony Tolliver (3:39) did not eclipse the 20-minute plateau.
13
The Pistons snapped a 13-game road losing streak with the victory. Detroit came into the game 1-8 on the road this season.
21
Phoenix’s bench struggled from beyond the arc, going 4-for-19 (21 percent) from 3. However, the starters hit six of their 12 attempts from long range.
50
Isaiah Thomas returned to the lineup scoring eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. However, his free throw streak ended at 50 as he missed a shot from the charity stripe late in the fourth quarter.
.500
The Suns are a .500 team any way you slice it. They are 12-12 overall, 6-6 at home and 6-6 on the road. Phoenix must find a way to be more consistent or else missing the postseason yet again may be a real possibility.
