What is with the Suns dominating the first quarter and then struggling throughout? I could have sworn that in the last game I covered against the Charlotte Hornets, the Suns did the same thing they did tonight. This time, though, it definitely stung more for multiple reasons. One was that the Suns had a 24-0 run in the first quarter, giving them 37 first-quarter points. This would set the stage for an explosive game throughout, but sadly, it missed the mark.
This was also a big one for both teams,
with Kevin Durant’s return to the Valley after he missed their first meeting due to injury. For the Suns, they also had Jalen Green, who missed their first matchup, and was looking to provide a showcase as well. Sadly for the Suns, Durant won that battle, even if he had a rough start, finishing with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
For the Suns, Booker got off to a hot start and found himself at the line 16 times, which was incredible to see. He finished with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists, but it was just not enough for Phoenix. The Rockets continued to attack the glass, outrebounding the Suns 55-34 (24-10 on the offensive glass). This was a big reason for the Rockets’ ability to generate second-chance points and keep them in a fighting chance throughout. Eventually, it just pushed over the limit because of Phoenix’s shooting struggles. A 7-of-31 shooting night from three is not going to cut it, and Phoenix looks clear it’s in for a tough couple of weeks ahead.
Game Flow
First Half
In a game, the Suns wanted to come out of the gates swinging; they did, and man, was it a beauty to witness. Right from the jump, Devin Booker started heating up, making his first three shots and getting a quick eight points. Some great hustle and three-pointers accompanied this, from Jordan Goodwin, sparking a huge run for the Suns. One that continued and snowballed into a 24-0 run here in the first quarter, with Mark Williams at the forefront.
His dominance on the glass made Alpren Sengun struggle to get any rebounds, and his ability to score on the other end gave the crowd the excitement they craved. Phoenix was locked in, as they needed to be, for the postseason, and it could not have come at a better time.
That being said, Houston did stop the run with a Kevin Durant mid-range and did start to climb back into this one. They started to find their groove with Reed Shepperd and Amen Thompson finding some offensive flow. At the end of one, Phoenix was in the lead 37-21 and looked to be in control of this one if they kept the momentum up.
The second quarter was not much of an offensive explosion to start, but it still had its moments. The Suns continued to see that value from Goodwin come to play, as he was once again active on both ends and made a nice three. The Suns have also done a great job of limiting their front court from doing anything, while their bigs have 16 points combined.
Then the quarter started to get interesting, after Brooks and Durant were arguing with each other. Durant started to feel his rhythm and made Brooks fall with a nice crossover move. The refs also started to get involved, handing out a tech to each team in just 90 seconds. First was given to Booker after complaining about a foul he deserved; the other was given to Jae’Sean Tate, who stepped on Dillon Brooks.
The Suns, who were now struggling behind the arc, changed their game plan. They began attacking the basket and scoring on the Suns’ bigs, forcing multiple trips to the line. Booker led this charge and did it with no fear to keep the Suns in the lead. Booker leads the team with 21 points and a fantastic first half as the Suns are up 57-54. A very physical match is set up for a be wild finish here.
Second Half
The third was a rough start for Phoenix as they could not find a basket outside the free throw line. Their first six points came at eight shots at the charity stripe, until Brooks found some heat. He made back-to-back shots, including a nice three to help him after a tough shooting night. Green also had this acrobatic finish doing a 360 spin move for the layup. This spark from the two seeking revenge against the Rockets kept the Suns in the lead.
Yet the Rockets did take some control back in this one as they had Josh Okogie replace Reed Shepperd in the starting lineup. This move allowed them to be more physical and create some mismatches on the defensive end. His impact alongside Durant, making winning plays, allowed the Rockets to shrink the lead and keep it within arm’s reach.
The Suns cannot catch a break on the offensive glass as Houston just grabs every rebound and turns it into second-chance points. With their shooting struggles as well, the one thing keeping them in this game is their ability to get to the free-throw line. At the end of the third, the Suns were blessed to see a Royce O’Neale three-pointer finally fall and to have a three-point lead, 84-81.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, this was their worst start to a quarter, and it came at a terrible time. With Durant on the bench, the Rockets went on an 8-0 run and took the lead right form undenrath Phoenix’s grasp. They also continued to dominate the glass with Sengun now finding his shots at the rim. The Suns just do not have the size to match and need to see a change, implementing a wing like Ryan Dunn or Rasheer Fleming to match Houston.
The onslaught continued from the Rockets as their runs seemed to multiply in the fourth. Jabari Smith Jr. hit some big-time threes, and Amen Thompson had some crazy finishes late to make you realize how lethal Houston is. Even with the 24-0 run, this Houston team can bounce back, yet the Suns found no answer offensively after the first.
Sadly for Phoenix, it was just not enough, even with the hot start. They fell ot the Rockets in a heartbreaking collapse after such a great start. This loss will sting the Suns, as they are still in seventh in the West but have now fallen a game behind the Clippers, who beat the Mavericks tonight.
Up Next
The Suns have their final back-to-back of the season and their final home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
