Monty Williams sounds off with rant after bad Suns loss

Count Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams among those frustrated with the team’s lack of consistency during the team’s recent three-game losing streak.

Williams, speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s 102-97 loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder, said the team’s inability to keep their foot on the pedal on the offensive end has played a key role in the Suns’ current three-game slide.

Here's Monty Williams' full postgame availability after a bad Suns loss to the Thunder. pic.twitter.com/hM89O4RhwH

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“We had a 10-point second quarter because we missed shots and we let offense dictate how we’re going to play. That’s what messed up the second quarter,” Williams said. “And down the stretch, we had an unbelievably poor finish. We got open shots, we’re missing shots under the basket. It’s just poor execution and poor finishing, that’s it.

“At some point you just have to finish out games and understand that what it takes to be a really good team is consistency, period, and that’s the deal.”

As Williams alluded to, the Suns struggled mightily from the floor on Wednesday, shooting 37.9% overall and 34.9% on 43 three-point attempts, down from the team’s season average of 46.5% from the floor and 35.8% from behind the arc, respectively.

Williams stressed that the Suns must find a way to play better basketball, starting with their ability to knock down open shots.

“We had wide-open threes, we missed them. We had layups under the basket, we missed them,” Williams said. “Until this team understands consistency for four quarters, we’re going to feel like this a lot.”

To Williams’ point, of the five players in the Suns starting lineup on Wednesday night, only Chris Paul connected on more than half of his field goal attempts — hitting on 12-of-21 shots from the floor.

The other four starters combined to shoot 13-for-44 (29.5%) from the floor, giving credence to Williams’ postgame critique.

Williams didn’t mince words, closing out his short postgame talk with reporters by hammering home how inconsistent the Suns have played of-late.

The head coach added that the Suns’ inconsistency must change if they’re going to make the NBA postseason for the first time in a decade.

“We can try to get everybody to feel sorry for us. It ain’t going to work,” Williams said. “We’ve got to stay consistent, this is on us. Period.”

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