Phoenix Suns give starters extended run in final preseason tuneup

PHOENIX — For the first time in the preseason and on the eve of the real deal kicking off, the Phoenix Suns deployed what will be their normal starting lineup in Thursday’s 128-122 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Due to a left middle finger injury that kept Jusuf Nurkic sidelined for nearly the entire preseason, he made his season debut alongside Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant. It came at a good time, as the one game in nine days rhythm to the schedule made it an opportunity for everyone to get their minutes close to where they will be in the regular season. Phoenix wants to keep its conditioning in a good spot for Wednesday’s opener and it will do that with bunches of scrimmaging.

Booker refers to it as “good bump” when there is a level of flow and physicality reached by the basketball. This qualified in the preseason.

“I think this next week that we have, we have to take advantage of the time and keep getting our conditioning up,” Booker said. “You seen how the second half was much more sloppy than the first and I think that just comes with conditioning and fatigue.”

Booker would love it if the season started tomorrow but he and his teammates will have to wait almost a week.

How do they maintain over the next five days?

“Just keep the intensity high, keep everything sharp. … It’s go time,” Booker said.

Beal, Booker and Durant each played at least 28 minutes.

“I think that was very close to what we hoped for, so I think for those guys to get up at that 30-minute mark and start getting ready for regular season and what’s coming,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said.

While it’s the equivalent of holding the door open for someone who has never experienced the everyday courtesy, the Suns’ on-court vibes continue to look miles better than last season. The combination of ball movement and engagement is a welcome sight.

Book with his third triple of the half 👌

He’s up to 20 PTS heading into the break! pic.twitter.com/jXHiVUCsKx

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 18, 2024

Booker played a terrific 28 minutes, finishing with 22 points (8-for-18) and competing defensively. Durant added 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes. Nurkic knocked down a pair of 3s and scored 15 points.

The spacing in the five-out lineups with Nurkic stretching the floor was noticeable. Booker came away from it quite enthused.

“So much,” Booker said when asked how much that helps the offense. “I think it opens up a lot of driving lanes, I think it pulls the other big, their rim protection away from the hoop.”

“I think it was good, especially with Bud and coaches and players, they’re really on me giving me full confidence I can shoot as many 3s as I want,” Nurkic said.

Booker noted how Nurkic has slimmed down and is moving a bit quicker. Nurkic said that came down to trying to stay as healthy as possible, joking he’s an old man now at 30 years old.

Beal had a frustrating evening, shooting 4-of-15 with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and five turnovers, all while falling on the hardwood a number of times. His body language reflected that frustration, but for those choosing to read anything into that, don’t.

“It’s just preseason, man,” Beal told Arizona Sports with a smile, denying the notion that it’s even a game he would have to flush mentally. (He is right, you know.)

Beal confirmed that he came out of the night OK after a few tumbles.

Booker only played in two of the first five preseason games on the schedule before sitting for another two due to right ankle soreness. The nicks for Booker and Nurkic are the type of injury management Phoenix will exercise in the preseason, but good luck catching either guy missing time this year for anything similar.

In the mid-third quarter, Booker went up for a finish at the rim and had an unusual landing on his right leg. It did not look like a tweak or sprain of his ankle but he instinctually showed the pain he was in before getting up and continuing to play through it following a timeout.

Booker landing a little awkward here pic.twitter.com/GcU5rdqWMb

— Cage (@ridiculouscage) October 18, 2024

Booker will rarely show any real discomfort, even when he’s in a whole lot, so we’ll see what the upcoming week brings for his status in practice. For what it’s worth, both Booker and Budenholzer said he’s fine.

With Phoenix up five and 6:24 remaining, the Lakers began emptying their bench. The Suns, however, kept the starting five in there, except for Mason Plumlee taking Nurkic’s spot. Their offense was sputtering and it was getting pretty awkward, which is when Budenholzer made the correct decision of pulling his guys too at a two-point scoreline.

The Suns were up seven with under 90 seconds left before Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht scored seven points over that time, including a 3-pointer with five seconds left that tied the game and forced overtime. Knecht then produced eight points over 63 seconds, putting L.A. up four.

He later drilled another 3 with 1:37 remaining to once again put the Lakers up four, enough of a buffer to mercilessly end a exhibition contest that included multiple challenges and replay reviews. That was part of a run of 20 straight Lakers points via Knecht, who scored 30 of his 35 points after the first half.

Suns’ preseason finale includes rotation hints

Given the legitimate purpose the game was serving, it was a fun preview at some potential rotation wrinkles.

Beal checked out at the 6:54 mark of the first quarter and then back in at 3:21 for Booker, staggering to give Beal some time as the lone Big 3 member on the floor and also some rest to both Booker and Durant. Budenholzer’s time in Milwaukee included strict minute allotment for his stars, even in critical situations. Beal was joined by backup point guard Monte Morris, who he played a season with in Washington two years ago and has a lot of chemistry with.

When Beal got his time for rest in the mid-second quarter, Royce O’Neale took his spot beside the four other starters. That is part of the value that O’Neale and Grayson Allen will provide off the bench.

Nurkic’s presence included an interesting spin of court time shared with rookie 5 Oso Ighodaro. Phoenix will struggle with matching size all year, and that’s a funky mix where Nurkic’s floor spacing can have him serve as the 4 to offset Ighodaro’s lack of shooting while Ighodaro is a capable perimeter defender. It’s going to come down to if Nurkic is making his 3s but that’s putting two playmaking hubs on the floor and will result in great ball movement. Plus, it’s another way to find Ighodaro some minutes.

“We feel like Nurk can give us spacing and Oso is dynamic in the pick-and-roll game,” Budenholzer said of that frontcourt duo. “And we really haven’t had it much in practice, so it was good to try it out (and) it’ll be good to look at it on film but I think Oso can impact the game and he can guard lots of different positions on the other end.”

The 10-man rotation was completed by rookie wing Ryan Dunn and Plumlee. Phoenix was still without Allen (Achilles soreness) and Josh Okogie (hamstring), with Allen obviously taking one of those spots. (As much as one can read into individual court work an hour before tip-off, Allen was moving normally and ended it with his usual stand-still dunk off two feet right under the basket. He only played in the preseason opener.)

The bet as it stands right now for the bench mob on opening night is heavy doses of Allen and O’Neale, with sprinkles of Morris and Plumlee. Dunn absolutely has a role now too after an awesome preseason. It’s just a matter of how much trust he’s built to where it’s 8-10 minutes or 18-20 minutes. Budenholzer will likely try and squeeze in some time for Ighodaro as well. And that’s before getting to Bol Bol, Damion Lee or Okogie, three guys deserving of consideration.

This was not the same type of tuneup for the Lakers, who sat LeBron James for rest. Head coach JJ Redick jokingly said the designation for James should be “old.” Starting forward Rui Hachimura was out for a lingering injury while there were three other players with a minutes restriction, including starting guard Austin Reaves and key reserve guard Gabe Vincent. Anthony Davis produced 35 points in 34 minutes, and a few different times scored in a way on the interior that highlighted the Suns’ lack of size.

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