Like teams across the NBA, the Phoenix Suns entered Week 18 ready to navigate life after the All-Star break. A team in need of rest got it, and the hope was that they would come out of the pause with some momentum and start pushing toward the finish line. Instead, they sprinted straight into chaos, stepped on a few Legos, banged a shin on the coffee table, and somehow stubbed the same toe twice.
Injuries have hovered over this season from the start, but Week 18 felt like the moment the dam finally
broke.
Devin Booker exited the Spurs game with a hip strain. Jordan Goodwin and Dillon Brooks both went down against Orlando. Goodwin is dealing with a calf strain, an injury that always requires caution, and Brooks fractured his left hand, leaving his return timeline uncertain. Grayson Allen missed the Spurs game, played against the Magic, then sat again versus Portland as his ankle continues to linger in the background.
The Suns are not dealing with anything unique around the league. Wear and tear has become part of the daily conversation as more players across the NBA show up on the injury report with that familiar red cross next to their name. It is another issue the league office continues to wrestle with, and one they will never fully solve without accepting that fewer games might mean fewer tickets sold. That debate can wait.
The reality is simpler and heavier. Phoenix is hurting, and a season that once felt special now feels fragile. Without Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin, the foundation starts to wobble. A team built on hustle and defense is missing two of its best tone setters. A team that thrives on ball movement and finding the open shooter struggles to move the ball without Booker and Allen.
The Suns limp out of Week 18 hoping survival is enough until health returns, because health is the one thing money cannot buy.
Week 18 Record: 1-2
@ San Antonio Spurs, L, 121-94
- Possession Differential: +3.8
- Turnover Differential: 0
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: +8
Against a Spurs team finding its stride, Phoenix was overmatched and undermanned. There were flashes. Jalen Green’s bounce, Mark Williams battled Wembanyama, but none of it really mattered. The Spurs handled the Suns with ease.
vs. Orlando Magic, W, 113-110 2OT
- Possession Differential: +1.2
- Turnover Differential: -8
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: +12
Phoenix survived an absolute rock fight against Orlando. It was the kind of game that makes your eyes hurt and your soul tired, before Jalen Green detonated one moment of pure audacity to end the misery. Nothing flowed. Everything was earned.
Phoenix shot 29% from deep, coughed through 117 attempts, blew a late lead, lost bodies, and still dragged itself out of double overtime with a win. It wasn’t pretty, sustainable, or clean. It was survival. And this week, that counts.
vs. Portland Trail Blazers, L, 92-77
- Possession Differential: -1.2
- Turnover Differential: -2
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: 0
Phoenix couldn’t find any rhythm, and their poor shooting continues to be of concern. What else is concerning? When the door of opportunity opened, no one stepped through it.
Inside the Possession Game
- Weekly Possession Differential: +3.8
- Weekly Turnover Differential: -10
- Offensive Rebounding Differential: +20
- Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +8
Graphic time.
The Phoenix Suns won the possession battle this week. They took better care of the ball. They competed on the glass. And still, they walked away with two losses. Injuries sit at the center of everything right now, and every stat has to be read through that lens. That part is understood.
What lingers is the depth question. It is being tested, and it is not holding up. Players are operating outside their normal roles, so expectations need to be reasonable, but the drop-off has been real. Since February 1, the Suns are averaging 104 points per game, second-worst in the league. They are shooting 33.5% from three, which is sixth-worst. They average 9.1 steals, which puts them in the middle of the pack. And they are 3-6.
The traits that made this team enjoyable early in the season are slipping. That tells you the system is designed for high-level basketball IQ players, not built to elevate depth on its own. Strong organizations preach next man up because the structure remains functional even when talent thins. Phoenix has kept running the system, but the results have cratered. It is expected. It is part of the season-long evaluation. So far, the Suns are failing that test.
Week 19 Preview
Breathe. That is what the Suns have an opportunity to do over the next week. Only two games on the schedule, both against opponents who know how to make things uncomfortable.
First up is Tuesday, when Phoenix welcomes the Boston Celtics to town. Boston was penciled in by some as a team that might tread water this season, regroup, then reattack later. But that script never materialized. They sit second in the Eastern Conference, driven largely by Jalen Brown, and that matchup will demand real focus.
Two nights later, the Lakers come to Phoenix for the fourth of five meetings this season. That one matters. The standings say so. This is a chance to take a real bite out of them.
After that? Some rest. The Suns don’t play again until the following Tuesday.
