Suns’ skid continues with loss to Nuggets in yet another winnable game
Dec 23, 2019, 10:04 PM | Updated: 10:49 pm
Phoenix Suns center Aron Baynes (46) gets fouled by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the second half during an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, in Phoenix. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 113-111. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX — On a six-game losing streak, the Phoenix Suns really needed to find their footing on a run of being 4-14 in their last 18.
Any win would do, but potentially one on Monday over the Denver Nuggets in a scrappy, strange game against one of the West’s best would have provided an extra boost.
Alas, despite a valiant comeback attempt and a nine-point lead with 5:25 to go against a team that played last night in Los Angeles, the Suns dropped another winnable game 113-111.
“Bit of a theme for us in these close games but we had our chances,” head coach Monty Williams said.
Phoenix scored only five points in the last 2:57 of the game.
In a tie game with under a minute to go, Denver’s Jamal Murray hit a three-pointer to put the Nuggets up three, only for Devin Booker to immediately answer on the next play.
DEVIN BOOKER! WE'RE TIED! pic.twitter.com/A3w0d0x8cp
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) December 24, 2019
Murray killed off most of the clock and then converted on a step-back jumper just inside the line with 3.7 seconds left.
JAMAL MURRAY STEPS-BACK AND CONNECTS ON THE GO-AHEAD JUMPER!
2.5 left:@nuggets 113@Suns 111
📱💻: https://t.co/lZZApswzuX pic.twitter.com/QbftuGcO7m
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2019
Booker tried to hit a fadeaway in the corner but was blocked by Jerami Grant, sealing the loss.
It was an especially bizarre game after the first quarter when the Suns were already down 15 in another poor defensive effort.
So for them to get back to the energy they showed defensively at the start of the season after that, all against a great team, was significant.
Which would have made it a terrific win.
Booker’s struggles made this one all the weirder. He did not score in the first half, which he hasn’t done in nearly three years.
Most of the misses were short, and despite Booker no longer being on the injury report for a right forearm contusion or having a wrap on that area, he clearly was a bit off.
He scored eight points in the third quarter to eliminate the zero and finished with 11 on 3-for-12 shooting.
Kelly Oubre Jr. also had one of his worst games of the year, shooting 5-for-16 with 14 points, making it difficult to figure out how the Suns even got to 111.
That was thanks to nearly everyone playing rotation minutes providing some offense. Ricky Rubio had a team-high 21 points while Dario Saric (13), Frank Kaminsky (13), Cam Johnson (11), Aron Baynes (11) and Mikal Bridges (12) all reached double figures.
Murray had 28 points and Nikola Jokic added 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
UP NEXT
The Suns are off until Friday when they play the Golden State Warriors. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.
