Shorthanded Suns overmatched by Thunder, eliminated from NBA Cup

The stack of last-notice bills has been piling up on the Phoenix Suns’ counter, and some nights like Wednesday’s 138-89 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder are when those will inevitably come due.

Phoenix has remained remarkably consistent in its principles through having Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) for only five quarters this season, and now even without Devin Booker (right groin strain), it is still finding ways to win. But the Suns have now lost five of their last eight games through a part of the schedule that we expected to deliver some haymakers to a team trying like hell to make up for a sizable talent deficit, even at full strength.

What we didn’t expect was a NBA Cup run into the quarterfinals, which spawned another meeting against OKC, who is now 24-1 and will have a chance to chase the historic 74-win total if it so chooses to.

It is honestly surprising the Suns haven’t had more results like this one given what they’re working with. Not to this extent, though, of course. Forty-nine points was the largest margin of defeat in franchise history, per Stathead, a credit to the Thunder.

This was not the same game as it was in group play.

The Suns back then played OKC tight throughout, trailing by only four at halftime on the road and preventing a 15-plus-point deficit in the second half before getting within a possession at just over five minutes remaining. That’s when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was forced to put the cape on, an act he has rarely had to perform in crunch time this season.

Oklahoma City scored 14 points under three minutes into the game on Wednesday and 60 seconds later took a 10-point lead.

It was immediately obvious how much the Thunder’s overall team defense could expand more without focusing so much on Booker individually.

For the Suns, when missing Booker’s playmaking that either directly or eventually creates good looks, they’re looking for other windows to find shots, particularly just a few ticks into the shot clock. That’s a pace Phoenix already embodies with regularity, but it’s been ratcheted up without Booker, including some of those quick-trigger 3s every old-school coach would bench guys for taking. Those shots get the Suns better opportunities before the planet’s best defense is set and also creates more triples without Booker doing so.

But when those shots do not go in, it rolls out the red carpet for OKC to play off misses, which is always the most efficient environment for an offense to exist in.

The Thunder generated a few turnovers and a handful of buckets in those circumstances to go up 20 before the first quarter even wrapped, making 12 of their first 16 shot attempts.

And this is where it did become similar to the previous meeting, because how much would Phoenix’s stubbornness collide and conflict with OKC’s proclivity for blowing teams out?

Well, despite Phoenix not cutting the deficit to single digits again, it didn’t allow things to get out of hand until the end of the half. That’s when the halftime score was 74-48, thanks to OKC’s four straight 3-point makes to conclude it at 13-of-19 from 3.

The Thunder’s lead expanded to 36 only a few minutes into the third quarter.

None of Phoenix’s ball-handlers and scorers could find room to score individually or spark ball movement like Monday’s win over Minnesota.

Grayson Allen (3-for-9), Dillon Brooks (4-for-16) and Collin Gillespie (1-for-5) were all dealing with a type of defensive attention that they aren’t used to in now being so high on the scouting report, on top of the quality of depth OKC has with perimeter defenders.

That trio combined to shoot 8-for-30 (26.7%) while OKC’s Gilgeous-Alexander (11-of-15), Jalen Williams (5-of-8) and Chet Holmgren (9-of-13) were a combined 25-for-36 (69.4%).

Allen was ejected in the late third quarter when he responded to a rub screen from Holmgren with a collision and follow-through shove. The full context, however, was absent from the broadcast for the possession prior when Allen was pushed in the back by Holmgren for a rebound that didn’t even draw a whistle.

The possession prior that earned Holmgren the receipt. pic.twitter.com/r872QzvOlg

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) December 11, 2025

You could make a case that Holmgren’s shove warranted a Flagrant 2 more than Allen’s, considering it is in the back and out of his vision.

Phoenix was getting more and more frustrated at the physicality the Thunder were able to employ, a consistent complaint they have received dating back to last season. While it obviously should be called more down the line, it’s also a benefit of the doubt the Thunder have in part earned with how they defend each night.

You have to feel for Allen specifically, given the increased fine coming his way for a Flagrant 2 (that the Suns will surely appeal) and how he has shed his previous reputation as a dirty player, only for this type of retaliation to briefly reignite those suggestions.

With the loss, Phoenix (14-11) will now need to add another game to its schedule to reach the requisite 82. Fortunately, the knockout stages make this simple, and the Suns will face the loser between the Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs in the other quarterfinals matchup.

With L.A. losing 132-119 to San Antonio, Suns-Lakers will take place in Phoenix at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

This has been an extremely beneficial gap in the schedule for the Suns, particularly when you consider the timing of Booker’s injury. After their win over the Lakers on Dec. 1, Phoenix will have played just four games across 16 days. The speed of it starts to ramp back up on Dec. 18.

Green’s four-to-six-week timeline for a reevaluation saw the four-week deadline arrive on Tuesday, so the six-week mark will be on Dec. 23. Booker’s one-week period passed recently but it would not be surprising to see Phoenix take advantage of having just one game in the next seven days and sit Booker for that just to be extra cautious.

Related

Grayson Allen ejected in NBA Cup quarters as frustration boils over in blowout vs. ThunderDevin Booker ruled out with right groin strain for NBA Cup game vs. ThunderMark Williams on fit with the Suns this season: 'It's felt like home'Suns becoming the overnight sensations the Valley desperately needsCollin Gillespie is a microcosm of Suns' staff optimizing the benchDillon Brooks officially signs extension with Suns, becoming long-term piece