RSS Suns Team Notes

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Preview: Booker faces an uncertain homecoming against the East leading Pistons

Who: Phoenix Suns (24-16) @ Detroit Pistons (28-10)

When: 5:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Little Caesars Arena — Detroit, Michigan

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, NBATV

Listen: KMVP 98.7

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The Phoenix Suns head to Detroit to face the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Tobias Harris have all missed a handful of games in January. The Pistons are well-rested, with their last game on Saturday.

For the Suns, Jalen Green’s availability looms over this road trip, as does the health of Devin Booker’s ankle. He is questionable for this game against the Pistons. Just like New Orleans, the Detroit Pistons are a homecoming for Booker, who grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which could bring a different edge to these games if he is healthy enough to play.

The Suns, having started 1-4 to begin the season, have only lost back-to-back games twice since then. Once to Oklahoma City and Denver, and another to Oklahoma City and Los Angeles.

Against the Heat on Tuesday, the Suns’ defense struggled to stop Miami’s stars, and they will need to play much better against whoever is playing for the Pistons. The Suns decisively won the possession battle against the Heat, but poor defense and poor 3-point shooting were too much for the Suns to overcome to win. The Suns will have to play much better to win in Detroit.

Probable Starters​

Injury Report​

Suns​

• Jordan Goodwin – AVAILABLE (Jaw Sprain – Mask)
• Royce O’Neale – PROBABLE (Left Biceps Contusion)
• Devin Booker – QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle Sprain)
• Nigel Hayes-Davis – QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
• Jamaree Bouyea – OUT (Concussion Protocol)
• Jalen Green – OUT (Right Hamstring Strain)

Pistons​

• Jalen Duren — PROBABLE (Right Ankle Strain)
• Tobias Harris — PROBABLE (Left Hip Strain)

What to Watch For​

The Suns and Pistons are two very similar teams, which will make this an entertaining game to watch.

The Pistons are the second-best defensive team in the NBA and second in offensive rebound percentage. The Suns are sixth and fifth in those categories, respectively. Whoever controls the glass in this game will come away victorious. With the front line of Duren and Stewart for the Pistons, Mark Williams will have his hands full defensively and on the boards. He is coming off one of his best games of the season, scoring 24 points and grabbing 14 rebounds against the Heat, and the Suns utilized his size by posting him up against the Heat’s switching defense. Can Phoenix continue to get Williams free against Detroit?

The Pistons are 28th in the NBA in turnovers per game, averaging 15.9 per contest this season. The Suns and Pistons are tied for first in the NBA in steals per game, and the Pistons lead the NBA in blocks. Both teams will extend their aggressive defenses to create easy opportunities on the other end. Will Gillespie, Booker, and Brooks take care of the ball well enough to ensure a Suns victory?

Key to a Suns Win​

The Suns shot a putrid 14-of-48 from the 3-point line in Miami, Brooks was 1-of-10, and Booker was 1-of-5. The Suns need to shoot better from the 3-point line if they want to win against the Pistons. Defensively, it all starts and stops with slowing down one of the best guards in the league, Cunningham. Brooks’s size and strength give him the ability to potentially slow down Cunningham, and the rest of the Suns have to hold up when Brooks is not on the floor.

The Suns also need to start the game fast. The Pistons have not played since Saturday, plus Cunningham, Harris, and Duren all missed the last two or more games. If Detroit comes out rusty, Phoenix has to be ready to pounce on the opportunity.

Prediction​

Suns do not lose back-to-backs.

Suns 110, Pistons 105

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...ooker-injury-update-cade-cunningham-stats-nba

 

[Phoenix Suns]

The Devin Booker-less Suns fight, but fall late to the Detroit Pistons, 108-105

Despite losing 108-105 to the Detroit Pistons, the Phoenix Suns should hold their heads high for how well they competed. With Devin Booker ruled out hours before tipoff, the Suns went toe-to-toe with the best team in the Eastern Conference. The game was a knockdown, drag you out of the ring kind of fight. The Pistons are one of the most physical teams in the NBA, and the Suns fought right back.

Grasyon Allen, despite his struggles shooting late in the game, was incredible for the Suns. He scored 33 points on 11-of-25 shooting and was 7-for-20 from the 3-point line. He picked up the slack for Dillon Brooks, who had one of his worst games in a Suns uniform. He scored 16 points on 4-of-16 from the field and was in foul trouble for the majority of the game. Without Booker, the Suns’ game plan was to play ultra-aggressive defense and shoot a ton of threes on offense. It almost worked, but the Suns were only able to score 15 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 90 points through the first three quarters.

Aside from Allen’s 33 points, the stars of the game for Phoenix came from the bench. Oso Ighodaro scored 10 points and had six steals, while Jordan Goodwin scored 7 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, recorded three steals, and a block. The Suns’ bench did enough to win them the game, but the offense went flat in the fourth quarter.

The Suns defensively flustered Cade Cunningham, who scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting, dished out 11 assists, but committed five turnovers. Duncan Robinson scored 19 points to lead Detroit, while Jalen Duren dominated the Suns in the paint. He scored 16 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. With Cunningham struggling, Tobias Harris and Jaden Ivey came to the rescue and scored 31 combined points for the Pistons to eke out a win over the Booker-less Suns.

Game Flow​

First Half​

The Suns could not hit the broad side of the barn to start the first quarter. They started the game 1-of-8 (1-of-7 from three) and found themselves in an early 11-3 hole. The game could have gotten away from Phoenix if not for Grayson Allen. He blocked Cade Cunningham in transition, then stripped Tobias Harris in transition, and stole the ball from Duncan Robinson, all in a four-minute stretch. His tenacity on the defensive end set the tone. Allen then got going on offense, hitting a circus layup over Jalen Duren, a 3-point shot, a pair of free throws, and a deep three to get the Suns an early 15-13 lead with 5:36 left in the first.

The Pistons’ bench unit responded, as Jaden Ivey came in and scored a quick five points, but Ighodaro matched him with multiple finishes, including this poster over Isaiah Stewart.

Oso Ighodaro catches Isaiah Stewart at the rim & throws it down.

Great probe from Jordan Goodwin to set the scene for the body caught too.

Suns 2nd unit is a game changing group in energy & activity. pic.twitter.com/OwKBl1QGw6

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner (@StephenPG3) January 16, 2026

With that flat-footed Ighodaro poster, the Suns finished the quarter on an explosive 14-3 run. Two Collin Gillespie 3-point bombs and an Allen quick trigger end of the quarter 30 foot 3-point jumper were the catalysts. Allen finished the quarter with 13 points as the Suns led 32-23, without Devin Booker.

The Suns’ bench continued to outplay the Pistons’ bench in the second quarter. As impressive as the shot-making was, the Suns’ switching, aggressive defense flummoxed the Pistons on offense. The Suns’ defense forced multiple turnovers and kept the Pistons’ ball screen-heavy offense at half court. An early 10-2 advantage in points off turnovers led Phoenix to a 42-27 lead halfway through the second period. Detroit could not manage any semblance of offense against the five man unit of Ighodaro, Ryan Dunn, Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, and Isaiah Livers.

Then the Dillon Brooks portion of the game happened. After a Royce O’Neale triple, Brooks made another 3-point shot on the next possession, got fouled, and completed the four-point play. The Suns surged ahead 50-34, and then the wheels came all the way off this game.

Brooks started instigating and drawing fouls on the Pistons, which had Jalen Green and Booker laughing on the bench. Then, the Pistons’ Ron Holland Jr. and Brooks got tangled up, leading to a Brooks flagrant foul, swiping at the ball after being stripped and catching Holland in the face. A kerfuffle ensued that led to Duncan Robinson half-heartedly shoving Brooks, resulting in a technical foul. A few plays later, Holland steamrolled over Brooks and was originally called for a charge, but that call was overturned to a blocking foul. The blocking call was Brooks’s fourth foul in the first half. This coincided with a Pistons 12-1 run that got them to within five, down 54-49. All the hard work the Suns had done had almost vanished.

But it was Holland and Stewart’s turn to instigate. Holland picked up Gillespie full court and was incredibly physical. Gillespie eventually drew a foul on Holland and then went in for a dead-ball layup after the whistle and was sent to the floor by Stewart. Stewart picked up the dead-ball technical foul. Gillespie hit his free throws, and then the Suns’ first-half hero hit two 3-point shots to finish the half with 21 points, and the Suns had a seven-point lead at halftime, 63-56.

Second Half​

In the third quarter, the Pistons woke up. The Suns came out flat on both ends of the floor. Perhaps it was fatigue or just the simple fact that the Suns were missing the best player on the team in Booker. Duren and Robinson were lights out for the Pistons: Robinson shot the lights out from the 3-point line, and Duren dominated the Suns on the glass. He overpowered Williams and everyone else on the floor and snatched every board. The Suns were physically dominated on the glass, and the Pistons gained an 81-76 lead midway through the third. Offensively, the Suns struggled to make any shot from long range after connecting on 10 3-point field goals in the first half.

However, once the Suns went to the bench, their energy and effectiveness picked up again. Time after time this season, the Suns’ bench has been the catalyst for staying in games, and it was again against Detroit. When Goodwin, Dunn, and Ighodaro check in, the Suns’ swarming defense hits another level that creates opportunities on the other end of the floor. When the Suns didn’t score in transition this quarter, it was Gillespie who took over, making difficult midrange pullups and deep pullup triples. The Suns’ bench was so good that, despite being thoroughly outplayed for the majority of the third quarter, the Suns still led 90-89 with one quarter to play.

The fourth quarter was a struggle for both teams offensively. After a Dunn dish to Williams to start the quarter, the Suns scored a total of six points in the first six minutes of the quarter. The Pistons were slightly better, Duren got free for a couple of easy finishes, and Harris scored some difficult midrange shots to go on an extended 13-2 run and take a 102-96 lead. When Brooks checked in for Phoenix, he tried to get it going by isolating against Pistons defenders, but his usual midrange shots just were not falling. His night ended early as he fouled out with over two minutes left in the game.

The only offense the Suns could muster for most of the quarter was forcing turnovers that led two fastbreak points. The Suns turned the Pistons over twice, leading to fastbreak layups for Ighodaro and Allen to cut the deficit to 102-100. The Pistons’ only points for the rest of the game came from the free throw line. The Suns were only down 106-102 with two minutes left and had opportunities. The Suns kept generating good looks from the 3-point line for Allen, but he could not hit any of them. The game should have been over, but the Pistons kept missing free throws. Allen finally hit a 3-point shot with 3.1 seconds left in the fourth to cut the Pistons’ lead to 107-105. Robinson went 1-for-2 for the Pistons and the Suns, without any timeouts, threw the ball the length of the floor down to Allen, who got off a desperation heave that sailed off the backboard.

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Up Next​

The Phoenix Suns face the New York Knicks on Saturday at 5:30 pm Arizona time.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...on-allen-33-points-booker-out-road-trip-fight

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Suns JAM Session Podcast: Suns Trade Punches in Detroit, Fade Again Late

The original post-game podcast on Planet Purple!

• Click the SUBSCRIBE button.
• Click the BELL to turn on notifications.

Watch it right here!

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Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, Castbox.

Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...suns-trade-punches-in-detroit-fade-again-late

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Live by the Dillon, die by the Dillon

Games on the road against quality competition are never easy, and the margins can get razor-thin in a hurry. The Phoenix Suns are coming off two losses where they easily could have walked away with wins in both. When that starts happening, the ‘disease of what if’ begins to creep in.

In this case, that conversation circles around Dillon Brooks.

Everything Brooks has brought to Phoenix, the attitude, the toughness, the edge, has reshaped this team. His brand of basketball, and the way he pulls teammates into that same mindset, is stamped all over the Suns you see now. I would not trade that for anyone. This team needed a cultural overhaul, and Brooks delivered it.

With that said, the next hurdle for him is self-awareness. If that part sharpens even a little, the Suns probably add a few more marks in the win column.

Look at last night. With Devin Booker and Jalen Green out, a combined $86.4 million in payroll, it was clear someone had to carry the load. That someone was Grayson Allen. He finished with 33 points on 11-of-25 shooting and set the tone offensively from the opening tip. Doing that on the road, against the top team in the Eastern Conference, a group with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, is no small ask. What stood out most, though, was how the Suns stayed true to who they are. They competed. They absorbed the contact. They gutted it out. That says plenty about the culture they are building.

They had plenty of hurdles to clear. Jalen Duren living in the paint. A physical team more than willing to push back. But one of the biggest hurdles ended up being Dillon Brooks himself.

Dirty Play or Tough Defense? Dillon Brooks Flagrant https://t.co/dMaxzhEtUy

— EX-Press Sports (@EXSportsLV) January 16, 2026

The inefficiency was brutal. He finished 4-of-16 from the field for 16 points and fouled out with 6 personals. On paper, that looks like a familiar Dillon Brooks night, especially when the stars are sidelined. He is always willing to take the shots, and I am not going to crush him for that instinct. But there are nights when you can feel it early. When you know you do not have it. Last night was one of those nights for Brooks.

I would have much rather seen more deference to Collin Gillespie or Jordan Goodwin than what we got offensively from Brooks. Gillespie took 10 shots and turned them into 18 points. Goodwin took 8 shots and finished with 7 points. Both were giving the team something cleaner within the flow.

The same theme showed up against Miami. The over-aggressiveness. The emotions creeping over the line. The flow of the game getting junked up late when the Suns were still in it. Every team needs an enforcer, and Phoenix needed one that night. But self-awareness has to step in at some point. No need to exaggerate follow-throughs. That is how Brooks picked up a technical that was later rescinded. That is how he ended up with a flagrant 1 after a missed three that would have tied the game in the final minute. Those moments matter. The Heat capitalized, the lead ballooned, and the Suns never recovered.

Down 3 with <15 seconds left Dillon Brooks kicks his legs out on the shot attempt and grabs then pulls down Andrew Wiggins earning him a flagrant offensive foul, essentially sealing the game for Miami (with replays).

The Suns' color commentator didn't think Brooks grabbed him… pic.twitter.com/lEdItMzFwM

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) January 14, 2026

Over the last two games, Brooks is shooting 3-of-16 from deep. That comes out to a cool 18.8%. No one is asking him to be something he is not. This is about self-awareness. About understanding what helps the team most in that moment.

The best thing he can give this group is opportunity. Opportunity comes from recognizing when the shot is not there, staying engaged on the floor, and resisting fouls that add nothing and disrupt the rhythm. The Suns are a team built on flow. When that flow gets interrupted, everything tightens.

Brooks can bring the antics. He can bring the edge. Those things have value, especially when Devin Booker and Jalen Green are out there to steady the offense. That is part of his role. When those two are missing, and he is asked to be a stabilizing force, the role changes. The edge still matters. Going over it does not.

So far on this trip, he has crossed that line. Two games. Eleven fouls. Two flagrants. One technical that later got rescinded. The point Norman Powell made still counted. That part does not get taken back.

Yeah, it really is the 85%, 15% equation with Dillon Brooks. You love what he gives you most of the time, and you brace yourself for the part that makes your blood pressure spike. That is the deal. That is the Dillon Brooks experience. You live by the Dillon. You die by the Dillon. Over the last two games, the Suns have died by it.

That is why getting Devin Booker and Jalen Green back matters so much. Their presence shrinks Brooks’ shot diet and lets him slide back into the role where he thrives. The disruptor. The irritant. The emotional anchor who tilts the floor without having to carry the offense. If that comes with a little more cerebral feel and self-awareness layered on top, even better. That is the version of Dillon Brooks this team needs when it is whole again.

Until then? The focus needs to be on making winning plays, not plays that prevent you from winning.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...n-pistons-recap-nba-discipline-self-awareness

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Preview: Suns Face the Knicks in the World’s Most Famous Arena

Who: Phoenix Suns (24-17) @ New York Knicks (25-16)

When: 5:30pm Arizona Time

Where: Madison Square Garden — New York, New York

Watch: NBA TV, Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports

Listen: KMVP 98.7

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The Phoenix Suns have their first losing streak of 2026 and their first in over a month. Losses to the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons, the Suns had a chance to win the first two games of their six-game road trip, but too many free throws and couldn’t execute in clutch time to get the wins.

The good thing for the Suns? Help might be on the way.

Devin Booker, who missed the team’s last game with an ankle injury that he suffered against the Heat, could return to action tonight. Booker has had major success against the Knicks the past couple of seasons, especially at Madison Square Garden. Last season, he had a 40-point outing, and in the 2023-24 campaign, he hit a game-winning three late.

DEVIN BOOKER FADEAWAY 3 FOR THE LEAD

1.7 seconds remaining Knicks ball…

Suns-Knicks | Live on the NBA App
https://t.co/1VIDFw6r0U pic.twitter.com/O77I2jielr

— NBA (@NBA) November 27, 2023

Just like the Suns, the New York Knicks head into this matchup on a losing streak. They’re also on a two-game losing streak and are 2-7 in their last nine outings. Previously, they had won 11 out of 1,3 including their win in the Cup Championship. Tonight is the Knicks’ first home game in more than a week. They started their road trip against the Suns, losing 112-107.

Can the Suns get back on track against a struggling New York team?

Projected Starting Lineup​

Injury Report​

Suns​

• Devin Booker — QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
• Jamaree Bouyea — OUT (Concussion Protocol)
• Jordan Goodwin — AVAILABLE (Jaw Sprain)
• Jalen Green — (Right Hamstring Sprain)

Knicks​

• Jalen Brunson — QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Sprain)
• Trey Jemison — OUT (G-League)

What to Watch For​

In his last five games against the Knicks, Booker is averaging 32 points and seven assists. Throughout his career, he’s averaged 28.6 points per game against New York. Assuming he plays, does Booker continue his streak of historically strong play against them?

When the two teams faced off in Phoenix last week, Booker scored 31 points, hit four threes and dished in eight assists. Down the stretch of the game, he made numerous big plays to help the Suns secure the win.

After a rough few games getting his legs under him returning from injury, Grayson Allen is playing similarly to how he was at the start of the season when he was the team’s second-leading scorer. Allen scored 30 points for the second time this season in Thursday’s loss to Detroit, going for 33 points, seven threes, and three blocks. After recording three triples and three swats in the first quarter, Allen became the first Sun to ever record such a stat line in a single quarter.

Allen has more points in his last two games, 58, than he did in his previous four games, 41. Does Allen keep his strong scoring going?

Key to a Suns Win​

No matter the opponent, the Suns need to shoot better from the free-throw line than they did against the Pistons. Going 16/25 from the line, one of the main reasons the Suns were in the game down the stretch was because Detroit actually shot a worse percentage from the charity stripe. In the Knicks and Suns’ first matchup of the season, Phoenix executed down the stretch at the line, hitting all six of their attempts in the final 15 seconds to ice the game. The Suns need to get back to knocking down their free throws at a high rate to keep them in games and secure victories.

If Devin Booker doesn’t play, the Suns need to decide who is going to step up as the primary scorer. Last game it was Allen and Collin Gillespie with Dillon Brooks in foul trouble. Despite his injury and availability status progressing in the right direction, Jalen Green remains out. Who will step up if Booker is not able to go.

Prediction​

New York has been struggling and just made a cross-country flight to get back to the East Coast. The Suns look like the healthier and better team right now. Give me Phoenix in a close one as long as Booker plays.

Suns 113, Knicks 109

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...us-madison-square-garden-road-trip-prediction

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Recap: Devin Booker, Suns take control late, beat the Knicks 106-99

NEW YORK — The Phoenix Suns defeated the New York Knicks 106-99 on Saturday for their first win of their six-game road trip.

A back-and-forth battle for the majority of the game, both teams had to whether each other’s large runs but the Suns came away victorious, pulling away late. Devin Booker returned from his ankle injury to lead the team in scoring but the victory was a team effort, with six players scoring in double figures. Dillon Brooks had one of his worst shooting nights of the year but it did not matter.

New York’s first game back from a four-game road trip, Knicks fans were loud but the Suns played loud when it mattered most, a contrast from their performances late against the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons earlier this week.

Now 25-17 on the year, the Suns snap their losing streak at two with the second of their Eastern Conference road trip pending.

Game Flow​

First Half​

The Knicks struck first, going ahead 13-6 and forcing Jordan Ott to take a timeout less than four minutes into the game. Karl-Anthony Towns had it going early for New York. Over the next six minutes, scoring was limited with both teams scoring just a combined 17 points. Only four different Suns scored as the score at the end of 12 minutes was 27-19 New York.

In the first quarter, Devin Booker passed a Phoenix Suns legend in the NBA all-time scorer list.

Devin Booker has passed Steve Nash on the @NBA all-time scoring list! pic.twitter.com/Xu9jsic4Wj

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 18, 2026

The Suns went on a 17-4 run to start the second and take their first lead since early in the first, and the team played more balanced on offense. The Knicks responded with a run of their own to retake the lead, thanks in large part to their hot three-point shooting; they hit 63% of their first 13 triples.

After a flurry of runs from both teams, the squads exchanged baskets to end the second half. New York led 56-55 at the break. The two teams’ splits at the half were similar. Phoenix shot 43.9% from the field and 39.1% from three, while New York shot 42.9% from the field and 42.1% from three.

Second Half​

The third quarter was 12 minutes of runs by both teams. Phoenix went on a 10-3 run to go up six which was followed by a 16-0 run by New York to give them a 10-point lead. Madison Square Garden was loud and the Knicks fans were roaring.

DEUUUUCCEEEEEEE

19 PTS | 4 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/0J4HgQ7Yfl

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 18, 2026

When the Suns stopped the Knicks’ run, they finished the quarter on a 13-0 run to end the third, capped off by Devin Booker’s And-one with 0.3 seconds left in the frame. Jordan Goodwin’s effort and quick five-point scoring burst were pivotal.

Goodie always bringing that hustle pic.twitter.com/ClftkXn8ih

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 18, 2026

A slow start to the final quarter, the game started to slow down in its final moment. Collin Gillespie took control of the first half of the fourth, hitting shots and organizing the offense. Phoenix was playing better late than they did against the Pistons and Heat in their previous two games.

Relying mostly on the starters and Grayson Allen, Phoenix pulled away late, avoiding a small scare at the end when New York cut it to five.

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Up Next​

The Suns will stay in New York City and face the Brooklyn Nets on Monday in the first half of a back-to-back.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...suns-take-control-late-beat-the-knicks-106-99

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Suns JAM Session Podcast: Bench Mob Saves the Suns Trip

The original post-game podcast on Planet Purple!

• Click the SUBSCRIBE button.
• Click the BELL to turn on notifications.

Watch it right here!

---

Listen to the latest podcast episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. Stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, Castbox.

Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/suns-jam/96786/suns-jam-session-podcast-suns-knicks

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Injury Update: Questionable at last as Jalen Green nears his return

For the last two months, there has been a song looping in my head whenever Jalen Green comes up. Richard Marx, softly crooning in the background, whispering a promise into the void.

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I have been right here waiting. And I hope my heart don’t break. It feels painfully appropriate at this point, equal parts hope, patience, and checking the injury report daily.

We know we are getting close. Suns head coach Jordan Ott said yesterday that Jalen Green got in another five-on-five run after morning shootaround. “Everything seemed to be good,” Coach Ott stated. “So we’ll see. Still going in the right direction.”

That is the kind of update that makes you sit up a little straighter. Not fireworks. Not a declaration. But enough to tell you the wheels are turning, and the return is no longer theoretical.

So…will Green suit up in Brooklyn on Monday night? Questionable.

Jalen Greeb is QUESTIONABLE to play tomorrow against the Nets.

Green last played on November 8. pic.twitter.com/ESbnP8ju83

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) January 18, 2026

The last time we saw him was on November 8 against the Clippers. He made it 6:48 into that game, but was then gone in the first quarter after re-aggravating the hamstring that already cost him the first 8 games of the season. It felt cruel. It also felt very Suns.

Before that night, Green had played in 192 consecutive games, playoffs included, without missing time. Then he arrives in Phoenix and the basketball gods get weird. To the team’s credit, they have been careful with it. This is a player built on speed. If you are running on a flat tire, you are not helping anyone.

We still do not know the exact severity. A grade two hamstring usually means 3 to 6 weeks. A grade three can stretch into months and even flirt with surgery. This one lingered long enough to make you wonder. Whatever it was, the Suns chose patience, and with a player like Green, that is the only move that makes sense.

But alas, the designation finally changed. That alone feels like progress. It does not guarantee anything, and it does not mean he is ready to roll, but it is a step forward. He is not listed as probable yet, but for the first time in a while, the door is actually open. He could see the floor again.

And the timing matters. Brooklyn is young, energetic, but they are not going to apply the same defensive pressure Phoenix saw from Detroit, Miami, or New York on this trip. That makes this a softer landing spot, if there is such a thing in the NBA.

So here we are. The questionable stage. Actual movement. Real momentum. Now we wait another day to see if Jalen Green finally suits up and plays basketball for Phoenix again.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...return-questionable-status-brooklyn-road-trip

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Preview: Jalen Green’s return looms as the Suns face the Nets

Who: Phoenix Suns (25-17) @ Brooklyn Nets (12-28)

When: 5:30pm Arizona Time

Where: Barclays Center — New York, New York

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, Yes Network

Listen: KMVP 98.7

---

Today has the potential to be a huge day for the Phoenix Suns. After being out since November 8th, Jalen Green could make his return to the court tonight, a huge boost to the team’s offense. Green, a 20 point per game scorer for his career, has played just two games this year due to a right hamstring injury that he re-aggravated early in the season.

Being traded to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade, because of his offensive firepower and ball handling, he’s viewed as the team’s midseason acquisition.

Whether Green plays or stays sidelined, this looks to be the easiest game the Suns have on their six-game road trip. The Nets are the only team not in the play-in or playoff standings they face on it, and are 12-28 and losers of six of their last seven games.

With the two teams making a blockbuster trade three seasons ago to send Kevin Durant to the Suns, Brooklyn and Phoenix have recent history. Both were neither able to win, let alone reach an NBA Finals with the superstar, and since his departure, the squads are in transition periods. Brooklyn is rebuilding and compiling as many young players as possible, while Phoenix has retooled the roster around Devin Booker.

Tonight is a contrast in styles of how to build a team after a superstar leaves.

Projected Starting Lineups​

Injury Report​

Suns​

• Devin Booker — QUESTIONABLE (Left Ankle Soreness)
• Jamaree Bouyea — AVAILABLE (Concussion Protocol)
• Jordan Goodwin — AVAILABLE (Jaw Sprain)
• Jalen Green — QUESTIONABLE (Right Hamstring Strain)

Nets​

• Egor Demin — OUT (Left Plantar Fascia)
• Haywood Highsmith — OUT (Right Knee)
• Day’Ron Sharpe — OUT (Illness)
• Cam Thomas — OUT (Left Hamstring)

What to Watch For​

If Jalen Green returns tonight, all eyes will be on him. In his only full game of the season, Green gave the Suns a lot to be excited about, scoring 29 points in 23 minutes, making six threes, and being a +30 when he was on the court. He scored the second-most points ever in a Suns debut and made the most threes in a player’s first game with the franchise.

While he looks to be on a minutes restriction for his first few games, especially in his first game, Green should provide the team with an offensive spark to what is already a roster that is getting a lot of contributors from its guards. Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen are having career seasons, while Devin Booker is averaging at least 25 points per game for his eighth straight season.

If Green doesn’t play, it’s important to monitor how Booker looks. He missed the team’s game against the Detroit Pistons last week after hurting his ankle in the previous contest. Booker returned to action on Saturday against the Knicks, scoring 27 points. With Phoenix playing in the first night of a back-to-back, it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff manages his minutes.

Keys to a Suns Win​

Turnovers. The Nets average the seventh-most turnovers per game this season. With young ball handlers like Egor Dëmin and Drake Powell, the Suns have an opportunity to utilize one of their strongest skillsets, which is generating steals. Phoenix is tied with the Pistons for the most steals per game this year at 10.5. If Phoenix can get ahead early and force Brooklyn’s young guards into pressure, they’ll be in a good position to win.

It’s important for the Suns to come out with a lot of energy. Tonight is Brooklyn’s third game in four nights, and they had to travel from the Midwest after yesterday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. Phoenix could be in a position to take advantage of tired legs.

Prediction​

The Suns have done a great job of taking advantage of lesser opponents this season. They haven’t lost to a team not currently in the play-in or playoff standings since October. Look for the Suns to take care of business without much disruption.

Suns 111, Nets 99

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...eview-brooklyn-nets-road-trip-game-prediction

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Recap: Suns get hot from three, take down Nets 126-117

NEW YORK— The Phoenix Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 126-117 on Monday night. The team is 26-17 on the year and winners of two straight. Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks all scored at least 22 points and combined for 73 points. Phoenix hit 20 threes for just the fourth time this season in one of their best shooting performances of the year.

Brooklyn stayed resilient throughout the matchup. It was not an easy win for the Suns. Despite multiple 20-point leads, the Nets clawed back to cut the lead down to four in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix is now 2-2 on their road trip with two games left, and as head coach Jordan Ott eluded to pregame, Jalen Green could make his return to the court tomorrow against the Philadelphia 76ers for his first game action since November 8th. Phoenix looks to be getting some help soon.

Jordan Ott on Jalen Green playing tomorrow:
"That where we're headed."

1/

— Holden Sherman (@HoldenSherman1) January 19, 2026

The Suns continue to take advantage of lesser opponents. Brooklyn now 12-29 on the year after the loss, they haven’t loss a game to a team not in the play-in or in the playoffs since October. Phoenix is now tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for 6th in the Western Conference.

Game Flow​

First Half​

The Suns started hot from the field, hitting five of their first eight shots. Dillon Brooks made three early triples, an encouraging sign considering he shot 17% from three last week. Strong ball movement and penetration gave the team a 30-15 lead early on.

BULLSEYE BROOKS

Perfect from beyond the arc for 9 PTS on 3 3PM in the first quarter pic.twitter.com/hL0KA0DTJk

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 20, 2026

Grayson Allen got in on the strong shooting action. He hit two triples early on. Just like Brooks, he struggled with his shot last game going 4/13 behind the arc against the Knicks.

After one the Suns led 40-26.

Phoenix stayed hot from behind the arc to start the second quarter with Gillespie and Ryan Dunn getting in on the action. When the Nets started to gain some momentum leading to a Suns timeout, Phoenix stayed looking for threes with a Royce O’Neale wing three.

With a firm lead, the Suns were spreading the ball around. Jordan Ott was relying on his second unit in the second frame. Isaiah Livers got in the game and had some touches and Oso Ighodaro was doing a lot of ball handling.

Around the halfway point of the quarter, the Suns’ lead started hovering around 20 points, but the Nets cut into it with threes, ball movement and physical defense. The Nets ended the half on a 24-8 run.

At the end of two the Suns lead 72-68.

Second Half​

Phoenix got their lead back up to double digits early in the second half. Brooks, Booker and Collin Gillespie all got some easy looks as the team kept a steady lead as the pace started to slow down. Phoenix had a lot of strong ball movement.

DON'T LET COLLIN GET HOT

16 PTS and 3-5 from beyond the arc tonight.@PayPal | #SunsUp pic.twitter.com/Os00EpZBFt

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 20, 2026

After three, the lead that the Suns built to end the first quarter was completely back. Suns led 103-89 heading into the fourth.

Brooklyn did not lay down to start the fourth. Thanks to their hot shooting and the Suns struggling to score, the Nets cut the lead to 5. With four minutes to go the Nets cut it down to four after a Noah Clowney And-one for their 27th point of the quarter in less than 8 minutes, but never got any closer.

Despite Dillon Brooks picking up his 14th technical of the season, the Suns built a sizable lead to take home their 26th win of the year.

---

Up Next​

Phoenix will head to Philadelphia to face the 76ers tomorrow. Jalen Green is set to return for his first game since November 8th. Bright Side will be on the scene with live coverage. Follow HoldenSherman1 on X for updates throughout the game.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...uns-get-hot-from-three-take-down-nets-126-117

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Preview: Jalen Green returns for the Suns tonight against the 76ers

Who: Phoenix Suns (26-17) @ Philadelphia 76ers (23-18)

When: 5:00 pm Arizona Time

Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports

Listen: KMVP 98.7

---

Tonight finally looks to be the night that Jalen Green returns for the Phoenix Suns from his two-and-a-half-month absence with a hamstring injury. Before yesterday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, Suns head coach Jordan Ott said as much, saying that all signs point to him playing in today’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Green, 23, was one of the main pieces the Suns acquired when they traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets during the offseason. A 20-point scorer for his career, Green played two games for the Suns this year after re-aggravating his hamstring that he had hurt before the season. In two games this season, Green averaged 15.5 points per game in the two contests, but got hurt in the second. Green’s 29 points were the second-most ever scored in a Suns debut, and his six made threes are the most ever in a Suns debut.

Coming into the matchup, the Suns have momentum. Strong games from Dillon Brooks, Devin Booker, and Collin Gillespie, along with the team hitting 20 or more threes, led the team to a 126-117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets for their second in a row and fifth in seven games.

Phoenix is currently tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for sixth in the Western Conference. A win tonight over the Philadelphia 76ers would make them ten games over .500 for the first time this season and since the 2023-24 season. Philadelphia is no easy opponent, however.

---

Projected Starting Lineups​

Injury Report​

Suns​

• Mark Williams — QUESTIONABLE (Right Knee Injury Management)
• Jordan Goodwin — AVAILABLE (Jaw Sprain)

76ers​

• Joel Embiid — OUT (Right Ankle Injury Management)
• Paul George — QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee Injury Management)
• Johni Broome — DOUBTFUL (Left Thumb)
• Kelly Oubre, Jr. — AVAILABLE (Left Knee)

What to Watch For​

Obviously, how Jalen Green performs and how the team adjusts to his presence. There’s not a large sample size of how he’ll perform as a Sun, considering he’s played just one whole game without getting hurt, and Dillon Brooks didn’t play in it. Presumably, he’ll be on a minutes restriction, so just because he’s likely to start does not mean that he’ll be playing starters’ minutes.

Look for Devin Booker to be the team’s primary ball handler and shift back to playing point guard, which he did before Collin Gillespie became a starter. The Suns look to have a stronger bench unit if Green is starting. Gillespie and Grayson Allen look to be the team’s first subs, along with Jordan Goodwin playing a combo guard role.

Like Jordan Ott said postgame after the team’s win, there will be bumps in the process of implementing Green into the rotation, but his presence around the team while injured should help.

"We're a top-five defense, that's where it's gonna start. (On) Offense we need his speed."

-Jordan Ott on Jalen Green's pending return and how it will impact the team on the court@BrightSideSun



— Holden Sherman (@HoldenSherman1) January 20, 2026

Keys to a Suns Win​

Both teams are coming off victories yesterday. Joel Embiid hasn’t played in a back-to-back in over two years, and Mark Williams’ status for back-to-backs is always in the air. Even with Green returning, the Suns could be missing one of their starters with a roster that played a game less than 24 hours before tip-off.

If the Suns can do what they did against the Nets, make threes early, move the ball, and limit turnovers, they should be in good shape to get their third-straight win. After being a mystery going into the season, the 76ers are having a strong year. Sitting in fifth in the Eastern Conference, when Joel Embiid has been in the lineup, he’s produced strong numbers, and Tyrese Maxey was just named an All-Star Starter yesterday. Phoenix will have their hands full with Maxey, one of the league’s best guards and leading scorers, they’ll need to find ways to limit his production to get the win.

Prediction​

Suns keep the winning ways rolling. Whether Mark Williams plays or not, I don’t expect Joel Embiid to, so Philadelphia won’t have a strong advantage inside. Jalen Green’s return should give Phoenix another ball handler and fresh legs in the second half of a back-to-back. Give me the Suns in a good win.

Suns 118, 76ers 113

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...ns-prediction-lineups-watch-live-maxey-booker

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Recap: Hot shooting third quarter leads Suns to a 116-110 victory in Jalen Green’s return

PHILADELPHIA— The Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 116-110 on Tuesday. Jalen Green returned from injury and showed flashes of his dynamic scoring ability but the main story of the night was the team’s strong shooting. Phoenix shot 41% from the behind the arc, hitting 16 threes on 39 attempts, following up their 20/39 three-point shooting night against the Brooklyn Nets last night with another great shooting performance.

Devin Booker led the team with 27 points and the team had three different players make at least three triples, including Royce O’Neale who had his 29th game of the season with three or more threes, tied for the most in the NBA this year.

With their second-straight game with a 40-point quarter, Phoenix pulled away in the third, outscoring the 76ers 40-31 in the frame and giving them a cushion when Philadelphia made a late push in the fourth quarter.

Now 27-17 on the year, Phoenix is now 27-17 on the year and have won three-straight all in a four-day span and look to be tied for fourth in Western Conference if the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves all lose tonight.

Game Flow​

First Half​

It took the Suns a second to get going, taking nearly 4 and a half minute to make their first shot. Around the six minute mark, Jalen Green made his long awaited return and he wasted no time, attacking the basket and going to the free throw line hitting two foul shots. He played off ball and got some opportunities to run the offense.

Jalen Green gets downhill, makes a nice read to Oso Ighodaro on the roll pic.twitter.com/MMdpQRnQlH

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) January 21, 2026

Phoenix struggled to knock down shots but thanks to their 11/11 free throw shooting, they trailed just 29-27 heading into the second quarter.

The Suns took their first lead of the game early in the second quarter thanks to Collin Gillespie’s hot shooting back in the area where he played his college ball. Philadelphia however would respond, going on a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter to put them back up 43-41 and forcing the Suns to call a timeout.

To close the half Phoenix and Philadelphia exchanged baskets, with both teams generating a lot of their offense through driving to the basket. The Suns led 57-53 with Devin Booker and Oso Ighodaro leading the team in scoring, going 13/13 from the line and limiting Philadelphia to 6/20 shooting from three. Kelly Oubre’s 16-point half led the 76ers.

Second Half​

The 76ers struck first. Philly started the third on a 13-2 run, getting out in transition and generating turnovers, taking a 66-59 lead 2:39 into the half, forcing the Suns into a timeout. After the break Phoenix responded, going on their own run and retaking the lead thanks to scoring 4 baskets all from threes. Royce O’Neale was apart of the three-point flurry, helping his ranking in a major three-point statistic.

This is Royce’s 29th game of the season with 3+ triples — tied for the most in the NBA this season. pic.twitter.com/7KUReEV3Rs

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 21, 2026

Jalen Green was also getting in on the three-point action. He hit a step back triple that had the Suns bench and fans excited.

THATS NASTY JALEN GREEN pic.twitter.com/NRtbITE1N4

— Cage (@ridiculouscage) January 21, 2026

After being down as much as seven, thanks to the three-point flurry the Suns ended the third on a 38-18 run and led 97-84 going into the fourth quarter.

The three point shooting continued to start the fourth quarter with Jordan Goodwin hitting a triple early in the frame.

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When the Suns’ lead got up to 17, the 76ers started to make a comeback, forcing Jordan Ott to call multiple timeouts as what was once almost a 20-point lead became a single digit one. However, as the Suns did against the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, the team stayed composed and took home the victory.

---

Up Next​

Phoenix will head to Atlanta to face the Hawks. The Suns will have two days between a game for the first time since December. They haven’t won in Atlanta since 2014, two seasons before Devin Booker was drafted.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...s-to-a-116-110-victory-in-jalen-greens-return

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Jalen Green finally returns and the early reviews are in

At long last, we finally got to see Jalen Green in a Phoenix Suns jersey again. It was only the third time it has happened this season, and from where I sit, the early returns lean positive. Yes, it is one game. Nowhere near a real sample size. But there were moments that sparked excitement, moments that made you slow down and think, and moments that naturally open the door to bigger conversations about what this could become.

The final stat line? 20 minutes played, 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of turnovers.

Suns head coach Jordan Ott bringing Jalen Green off the bench in his first game back felt like the right call. He is coming off what was most likely a Grade 3 hamstring injury, and easing him back matters. He needed his legs under him again, because his legs are the superpower. That showed up immediately on Tuesday night.

For everything this Suns team does well, speed is not high on the list. They play at the 20th fastest pace in the league. Jalen Green changes that dynamic. He brings real burst. Watching him blow by defenders and get into the paint felt different, and it mattered. That pressure is going to pay dividends.

What stood out even more was his decision-making. Time and again, he got downhill, drew help, and kicked it out to shooters instead of forcing a look. That can be his secret sauce this season. Collapsing defenses and creating space for everyone else. It is also why I expect Devin Booker’s shooting efficiency to level out. He does not have to fight two defenders every possession anymore.

View Link

Green’s handle looked tight. The jumper looked clean. He went 2-of-4 from deep and did not force anything. No rushed threes. No momentum killers. That was a concern coming out of Houston. We did not see it here. And that alone is encouraging.

The other question going into the night was simple: Whose minutes would he take? This is not a fringe rotation guy. This is someone who is going to play real minutes, one of the highest usage players on the roster, and someone the organization needs to evaluate over the rest of the season to truly understand who he is and how he fits. You are not bringing him back to play 20 minutes once a week and call it a day.

My assumption is this will be matchup-driven, with Jordan Ott doing some minute math on the fly. Shaving here. Adjusting there. Collin Gillespie. Jordan Goodwin. Grayson Allen. Those minutes are all going to feel the squeeze at different times.

Last night, though, it was Ryan Dunn. He played fewer than 9 minutes. Want a wild stat? That is the first time all season he has played fewer than 10. The same number of times as his jersey number. 0 before last night.

And it made sense. Philadelphia plays with small, twitchy guards. Dunn struggles there. He bites on first steps. That is not the matchup for him. So Ott countered by sliding Jalen Green into that role off the bench instead. As the season moves along, this is going to be something to watch closely. Whose minutes change, when they change, and why.

I also have to give Green credit for what he did on the defensive end, especially late while guarding Tyrese Maxey. That is not a friendly assignment. Maxey lives on first steps and chaos. If that matchup had fallen to Ryan Dunn, I think we would have seen a couple of clean blow-bys for easy buckets. Green, who is longer than people give him credit for, held his ground. He stayed attached, disrupted the rhythm, and at least made Maxey work for it. Through one game, this did not look like the traffic cone we were warned about.

The only real criticism I have for Green is tied directly to his speed. He can get to the rim almost whenever he wants. Sometimes it feels effortless. The issue is what happens after that. There are moments where he arrives at the cup without a plan.

We saw it late in the game on what I would call his lone untimely shot. The Suns were up 7 with three minutes to play. Green blew past his man and got exactly where he wanted. But once he was there, he did not look ready to finish the shot that presented itself. He rushed it. Threw up something ugly. That is where the opportunity lives. If he can marry the speed with a little more patience and intention at the rim, that is when things really open up.

View Link

“You could feel his ability to get downhill to the rim, into the paint. Thought he made a lot of good downhill drives where he finished or tried to find a teammate,” Jordan Ott said after the game. “Just good to have him out there. It’s like his joy is back.”

Zooming out, Ott is correct. It was simply good to have Jalen Green back on the floor. He brings a certain zest. A pulse. He fits what the Suns are trying to build. You could feel it on the bench, the way his teammates reacted to his minutes. They are pulling for him. They want this to work, and they are invested in helping it along.

Now comes the real test. Can we get two straight games of Jalen Green on the court? We will find out on Friday when the Suns face the Hawks.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...tion-minutes-ryan-dunn-jordan-ott-depth-chart

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Brent Barry peels back the curtain on a locker room that wouldn’t commit

Last season, the Phoenix Suns managed to turn disappointment into an art form. The most expensive roster the league has ever seen could not even sniff the Play In, let alone the postseason. A masterclass in how fast things can go sideways. Most of us have tried to memory hole that year and move on, but every so often, a new detail leaks out. Another breadcrumb. Another explanation. Another quiet “why”.

This time, it came from Brent Barry. He popped up on an episode of the No Dunks Podcast and peeled back the curtain a bit on how that team actually functioned behind the scenes. And the picture he painted helps explain how something with that much talent unraveled the way it did.

View Link

“The situation there overall, I would tell you guys, being on the inside, was it was a team that just didn’t know how to get along,” Barry stated. “They were all cordial towards one another. They all came to practice and were friendly, but it was one of those situations where you’re just not invested.”

“I thought it was going to be a slingback from what happened with Frank Vogel and the disappointment from the year before that there would be some piss and vinegar in the team and that these guys would want to show like, hey, we’ve got the highest salary in the league,” he continued. “We’ve got to figure this thing out together. Let’s use our superpowers to do that. Let’s use our superpowers for good. Unfortunately, they used them the other way and found ways to dismantle that roster. And sadly, they just didn’t commit to one another.”

“If clearly those guys don’t have a hierarchy and you’re not, as a member of the team, as a player, you’re not aware of which of the guys were leaning on the most, it confuses the rest of the team. And I think we had a lot of guys who didn’t exactly know what the expectations were. And again, this comes back to really good coaching and leadership. You have to define those for a team. And at no point did we do that for the Phoenix Suns last year.”

This was incredibly revealing. It highlights the contrast between last season and this one in bold print.

Starting with Bradley Beal, it became clear that he never fully bought into operating within a true team structure. He had been the alpha in Washington for so long that the adjustment never really took. When reports surfaced that he took offense to his head coach asking him to play more like Jrue Holiday, that told you everything you needed to know. That was a crack in the armor.

I have said it plenty of times. I liked the player. I did not like the contract or the situation. But once that detail came out, it reframed things. This was not only about fit on the court. It was about mindset. When a player resists being part of something collective, when the instinct is “me” over “we”, the whole thing starts to wobble. That mentality bleeds. And last year, it bled everywhere.

And if you take Barry’s comments one step further, they also shine a light on the challenge Kevin Durant brought with him.

You can talk all day about his greatness on the court, and none of that is up for debate. But the laissez-faire approach, the mentality of wanting to hoop and nothing else, showed up in exactly what Barry was describing. That disengagement, that singular focus, warped the hierarchy of the team and bled into the locker room. That’s the lack of investment.

With great power comes great responsibility, or at least it is supposed to. That has never really been Durant’s lane. He wants the praise. He wants the contract. He wants the freedom. He does not want the accountability that comes with steering a group. Last season made that painfully clear. When the players carrying the largest financial weight do not define or embrace their role, everyone else drifts. Structure erodes. Accountability disappears.

What you end up with is a roster full of mercenaries. Guys playing for themselves, not for each other. The coaching staff never had a chance to pull it back together because the egos were too big and the buy-in was never there. That was last year’s Suns in a nutshell.

Devin Booker was obviously part of that group too, and he even said early this season that last year was the toughest stretch of basketball he has ever lived through.

"Definitely the toughest two years of my career."

Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker discusses why the last couple of seasons were more difficult to navigate than even the lean years when winning didn't come easy.@BurnsAndGambo pic.twitter.com/AgcUrJubYK

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 25, 2025

We do not know how much responsibility to pin on him for what did or did not happen, but one thing is clear. His voice was muted. Just ask Coach Bud, who, when the team was struggling, reportedly told Booker to “tone it down”. He’s not free of sin, but he’s the only one who appeared to try to vocalize the issue and was muted. When you stack that many stars together and no one clearly owns the room, even the franchise guy can get drowned out.

That is the clearest contrast to this season. This team works because everyone knows where they stand. There is a hierarchy. There is clarity.

You can hear it when guys like Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams, and Ryan Dunn talk on The Old Man and the Three Podcast. The reverence they have for Devin Booker. The respect they show for what Dillon Brooks brings. That stuff matters. It sets the tone. And it is a big reason why this version of the Suns feels connected in a way last year never did.

"There was a lot of noise outside last year." — Collin Gillespie + Ryan Dunn talk about the Suns this year vs. last year pic.twitter.com/OwIL7MORRH

— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) January 1, 2026

The difference is obvious, and you see it every night on the floor. When there is a clear hierarchy behind the scenes, it shows up in how the team plays. Roles are defined. Effort lines up. Execution follows.

This team has already won 27 games. Last season, it took until February 22 to get there. 59 games. This group did it in 44. That is not coincidence. That is structure. That is buy-in. And it traces back directly to the issues Barry pointed out. When everyone knows who they are and how they fit, winning stops feeling accidental and starts feeling repeatable.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...eam-chemistry-superstars-hierarchy-leadership

 

[Phoenix Suns]

National respect is finally catching up to the Phoenix Suns

Crow. Best served cold, apparently. I should know. I have spent plenty of time eating it myself after takes that aged poorly. But around the league, there is a whole lot of crow getting passed around right now as the Suns keep churning out an unexpectedly successful season and quietly building one of the better stories in the NBA so far.

You do not have to take my word for it. National outlets are starting to say it out loud. Phoenix is earning respect.

John Schuhmann of NBA.com has the Suns slotted at the fifth overall spot in this week’s power rankings.

The Suns were without Devin Booker in Detroit on Thursday, when they blew a 16-point lead and lost by three, scoring just 15 points on 25 fourth-quarter possessions. Their offense hasn’t been great (115.8 points scored per 100 possessions) with Booker on the floor, but they’re now 1-3 without him, having scored just 101.3 per 100 over those four games. Of course, all four have been on the road and against teams — Houston, Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Detroit — that rank in the top nine defensively.

Booker returned on Saturday, when the Suns beat the Knicks, who were playing without Jalen Brunson. Mitchell Robinson was there, but the Suns outscored New York (21-17) on second chances. While Phoenix is one of nine teams that have scored fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season, it’s seen the league’s biggest jump in offensive rebounding percentage, from 26.4% (26th) last season to 33.6% (sixth) this season.

The Suns’ starting lineup didn’t have its best night at Madison Square Garden, but bench minutes were huge as they erased two separate, 10-point deficits. Grayson Allen continues to close games, and the Suns have outscored opponents by 13.4 points per 100 possessions in 486 minutes with both Jordan Goodwin and Oso Ighodaro on the floor, and they have the league’s fifth-ranked bench overall.

ESPN dished out midseason grades, and Kevin Pelton gave the Suns an “A” for their efforts thus far.

Thus far, team owner Mat Ishbia was right and the experts (myself included) were wrong about the Suns’ offseason makeover, which saw them say farewell to marquee additions Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant. In their place, Phoenix has built a hard-playing squad in the image of newcomer Dillon Brooks that excels at forcing turnovers and has barely dropped off offensively from last year’s star-studded team, going from 13th in offensive rating to 15th. Collin Gillespie’s emergence as a capable starting point guard has been one of the season’s best stories — earning him the nickname “Villain Jr.” from Brooks — and new coach Jordan Ott looks like he’ll put an end to the revolving door on the Suns’

The Athletic is a bit more bullish on the Suns than most. They have Phoenix sitting ninth in their power rankings, tucked right behind the Golden State Warriors. Because of course they do. The Warriors are always going to live near the top of those lists. Clicks are undefeated.

Law Murray put it this way:

I don’t think it is likely that Booker gets selected as a starter, but I feel like he should be rewarded for a Suns team that basically is in the same spot in the standings as the Lakers despite significantly less talent. Jalen Green is expected to finally play his sixth quarter of the season this week. Booker is one of 20 players averaging at least 25 points per game, and of those 20 players, only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham and Jamal Murray have won more games than Booker this season.

ESPN’s power rankings have the Suns sitting in 9th, and despite a three-game winning streak, they dropped one spot in their rankings. Make it make sense. Dave McMenamin had this to say:

How will Jalen Green be integrated into their success?

After making his return Tuesday, his first game action since early November because of a right hamstring issue, the Suns’ rotation will now shift to fit Green into the rotation. Adding a 23-year-old dynamic scorer is undoubtedly a good problem to have for first-year head coach Jordan Ott; shuffling things on the fly, however, is always a challenge, and Phoenix has had a good thing going so far this season and is riding a three-game win-streak.

Does any of that actually matter? Not really. The Suns still have to look inward and keep doing the work. They are in the middle of reintroducing Jalen Green into an offensive and defensive system that has been working. That is not plug and play. A player with that kind of shot appetite is going to require adjustment. If they can navigate that while stacking wins, that is success.

What someone writes in The Athletic is noise. And yes, I know I contribute to the noise. Sometimes loudly. But what I think does not matter. What matters is what happens in that locker room, the alignment inside the organization, and the way this team performs on the floor.

This season has already been fun. The national guys are starting to notice. The best way to keep their attention is simple. And to keep doing it the same way.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...er-all-star-collin-gillespie-villain-jr-stats

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Re-grading Brian Gregory’s first offseason

Brian Gregory was a controversial hire. Mat Ishbia promoted yet another Michigan State Spartan to a position of power in an offseason where that became a trend, as new head coach Jordan Ott was a former video coordinator at MSU under Tom Izzo.

These days, most Suns fans have very little to critique about the coaching hire. Everyone who watched the last dregs of the Monty Williams era, the Vogel season, and the Budenholzer season is elated by the progress this team has shown under Jordan Ott, and I see many fans routinely discuss their contentment with the coach online.

One person who doesn’t seem to get his flowers as often is Brian Gregory. GMs tend to be judged over the course of many drafts and offseasons. The fruits of their labor can take years to be tasted. Coaches give us the here and now. We can see the difference a coach makes a minimum of 82 times per year.

Jordan Ott also had a proven track record as an assistant around the league. The only things we really knew about Gregory were his connection to the Spartans and his fondness for the word “alignment.”

BUZZWORDS COUNTER: Three things are clear from new #Suns GM Brian Gregory…

Alignment
Identity
Vision pic.twitter.com/kOO4S8Khp8

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) May 7, 2025

That said, we do have a sample size. 44 games are behind us. 53.7% of the season has come and gone and we are closer to the playoffs than we are to opening night. So, how has Brian Gregory’s first offseason aged?

The Kevin Durant Trade: Grade: B+​

The big one. The first item on the agenda. What was Brian Gregory going to do with KD. The Kevin Durant trade ended up being the largest trade in NBA history, comprising 7 teams.

The Suns traded Kevin Durant for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, picks 10, 31, and 41 in the 2025 NBA draft, and two future second-round picks. At the time, I would have graded this a C- or maybe even a D. The best player the Suns received back played the same position as Devin Booker. After that, all the Suns got was a role player, one good pick, and a handful of second-rounders. When do late picks ever work out, anyway?

As it turns out, I was a fool. Dillon Brooks has had a career season, even though he has begun to regress back to his mean a bit on the current road trip. His mean, however, is a good defensive wing who can space the floor and average 15 per game for his career.

Jalen Green has played just two full games on the season. In one of those two games, he looked like an explosive athlete who was going to be a dynamic backcourt partner to complement Booker. He scored an efficient 29 points and looked good doing it. In his return to the court in Philadelphia, he struggled with his efficiency a bit, but was showing some playmaking ability to make up for it. Most importantly, he looked healthy. While the Jalen Green sample size is not enormous, it does give us hope moving forward. Jalen Green still could have a “second star” in his future.

Meanwhile, the young player I desperately wanted from the Rockets, 22-year-old power forward Jabari Smith Jr., is playing…okay. He is averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds and is generally just a good basketball player. He would have probably played well under Coach Ott, but with the flashes Green has shown for the Suns, I think fans are expecting to be happy with the package they received.

The draft compensation received for Kevin Durant was about as good as Phoenix could have hoped for. We no longer live in the same NBA that was trading the farm for Rudy Gobert. A top ten pick and some future second-rounders in return for an aging star was a reasonable amount of draft compensation.

The most important thing the Suns received in return for Kevin Durant is the privilege of not having him in their locker room. At just the halfway point of the season, the vibes are already poor in Houston.

pic.twitter.com/2zGa9upoyy

— No Context NBA (@NoContext_NBA_) January 10, 2026

While Durant was in Phoenix, I thought that watching him play on the court for your favorite team must be the peak of basketball fandom. Unfortunately, watching everyone else on your favorite team be miserable playing with him was the curse that came with the boon.

This was a good trade for the Suns. Good is probably the right word, though, not great. But who knows if a great trade was ever going to be available? At the time of the trade, Durant’s value was at an all-time low for his career. Gregory did what he could with what he had and should be very happy with the results this trade has generated.

The Mark Williams Trade: Grade: A+​

On draft night, the Phoenix Suns traded the 29th pick, Liam McNeeley, Vasilije Micić, and a 2029 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams and a 2029 second-round pick.

At first glance, that first-round pick in 2029 might seem like a steep price given the Suns’ current lack of draft capital, but I invite you to look a little deeper with me. The pick that the Suns traded was the least favorable draft pick among the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Utah Jazz. At least two of those teams are likely to be playoff teams in 2029. What the Suns really traded away with that 2029 pick was a player likely to be in the back 5-10 selections of the draft.

In return for that package, Phoenix received a young starter at what was, at the time, their weakest position. Williams is 24 years old, averages 12 points and 8 rebounds, and is five games away from a career high. He is the perfect high-motor big man to hold down the position for the next half-decade or more while the Suns’ center prospect develops, and they got him for a much lower price than they should have been able to. I give this trade an A+ for the sheer value returned for what was given up.

Every team in the league would trade picks 25 and 29 for a 24-year-old starter, and that is essentially what Brian Gregory did.

The Draft: Grade: C+​

The thing about judging a draft during a rookie year is that, inevitably, very little of what we say about these guys now will actually be correct in the future. Cooper Flagg might win rookie of the year, but he also could be Michael Carter-Williams in disguise. While I think that is unlikely, I make that point to highlight how rookie seasons really shouldn’t be used to write off a player forever. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s determine if we should write off these players forever.

With their selections, the Phoenix Suns chose Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick, Rasheer Fleming with the 31st pick, and Koby Brea with the 41st pick. All three of these guys were raw, and only one of them had an NBA-ready skill that they could exhibit (Koby Brea’s shooting).

Koby Brea has played a total of eight minutes in the NBA so far. He is averaging 20.1 points in over 36 minutes in the G-League for the Valley Suns. Unfortunately, he is shooting just 31.3% from three. Brea is a player who got drafted because of his jump shot, and if he is going to make it in the NBA, he needs to be an above-average three-point shooter.

On the other hand, Rasheer Fleming has shown flashes. Fleming has averaged 7 minutes per game across the 24 games he has played. He has gotten into NBA games and looked like an NBA player. He is a long way away from being a high-level NBA player, but when you watch Fleming play you see a guy who is likely going to be in the Suns rotation in the next couple of years. Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro represent hits on late draft picks that most teams struggle to get. The ability to evaluate guys late in the first round and deep into the second round will continue to be critical for this team as all of their draft picks will be in this range for the foreseeable future

Maluach has been the player everyone has had their eye on. He has played just 4.7 minutes per game across 18 games this season. He is also 19 years old and likely still growing into his 7 feet 1 inches and 250 lbs. One bright spot is that he has dominated in the G-League. In his eight games for the Valley Suns, he is averaging 15.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3 blocks. There are enough flashes with the teenage center that it probably isn’t time to hit the panic button, yet. Just do yourself a favor and stay away from the basketball reference pages of the guys drafted around him.

Three to four years from now, when Maluach and Fleming are rotation players, I think we are upgrading Brian Gregory’s first draft to a B+.

The Other Guys: Grade: A​

This is where the Suns’ front office has truly shone. In addition to the Fleming draft pick, Gregory claimed Jordan Goodwin off of waivers and signed Isaiah Livers to a two-way contract. As a bonus point, Gregory also signed Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way contract, though the season had already started.

Following the Goodwin signing, Gregory then had to make a second decision. There was a tough preseason battle between Goodwin and Jared Butler for a spot on the roster. Ultimately, Gregory made the right choice. Goodwin is averaging 9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in just 21 minutes off the bench. He has been a spark plug on defense and a perfect fit for this team’s new identity.

Isaiah Livers is averaging 10 minutes across just 23 games, mostly filling in for whatever role has been needed of him, especially at the power forward position. While he isn’t on his way to a regular rotation spot, he has been a good signing for what could have been reasonably expected of him.

The Suns have begun to gain a reputation for finding these guys. While Brian Gregory may not have been the general manager at the time, starting point guard Collin Gillespie was also a recent diamond in the rough that the Suns found, just waiting to be signed by anyone who would take him.

Final Offseason Grade: B+​

Brian Gregory and the Suns front office team did what I thought was going to be impossible. They turned the dumpster fire 2024-2025 Phoenix Suns into a real playoff team. They found their guys, they aligned their vision, and they proved they can do more than spout buzzwords.

The only thing holding back the score for this offseason is the draft. For the second year running, the Phoenix Suns have walked away from the draft with at least one and maybe two pieces that are likely to turn into long-term rotation players. However, this was also very likely the last time the Suns are going to have a top ten draft pick in the Devin Booker era. If they want to open up the contention window again, Maluach has to turn into something great.

We will see what happens. For now, I am excited to see what the Brian Gregory era has in store for the future.

What about you, Suns fans? How would you grade BG’s first offseason?

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...-williams-draft-analysis-jordan-ott-alignment

 

[Phoenix Suns]

A way too early look at potential Suns playoff matchups

Look, I admit it. I’ve gotten ahead of myself with this one here. There is still A LOT of basketball to be played.

The fact that the Phoenix Suns are in playoff conversations while boasting a record 10 games above .500 remains incredible given the low to modest expectations entering the season.

It feels like the Suns are playing with house money. They weren’t supposed to be here. The front office sold us a vision of what they wanted to be this offseason. It was met with plenty of eyerolls, but they sure as heck have delivered on those promises so far and then some.

Jordan Ott has this team humming. They have a new identity that is the polar opposite of what it was a year ago.

They are currently 27-17, sitting just inside the top-6 at the 5 seed, sitting a half game ahead of the Lakers and Wolves. They are “tied” with Houston for the 4th seed (lose tiebreaker), which would give them home-court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs if they can leap them. Is that goal too greedy?

Staying in front of the Lakers and Wolves feels realistic. So then it comes down to the Rockets, Nuggets, and Spurs. Denver isn’t budging as much without Jokic as many thought, and he returns soon. That may be a long shot. The Spurs have been steady. Ultimately, Phoenix just needs to continue stacking wins.

Priority One: Just make it​

The NBA giveth and the NBA taketh. Before we get too ahead of ourselves in discussing the playoffs, the Suns need to continue doing their job and make it.

The Western Conference is a beast, and every win counts. One game could be the difference between a home court advantage in round 1 or a play-in game. It’s going to be that tight.

Phoenix’s next stretch 5-game stretch includes a ton more Eastern Conference teams! And a chance to improve upon their positioning in the West as their opponents begin to play more games to catch up to the Suns, who seemingly have been 2-3 games played ahead of the rest of the West.

Who should they want in round 1? Who should they try to avoid?

Let’s start with avoiding the Thunder and their side of the bracket. First of all, you don’t want them because that means you played yourself down into the play-in and maybe lost a play-in game. Next, try like hell to get a top-3 seed so we wind up on the opposite side of the bracket.

Look, they’re not an unbeatable juggernaut. But they are clearly the best in the West and have a tough home environment to win in. Avoid please.

The Spurs? Jordan Ott has done a masterful job of making life hell for Victor Wembanyama. They’re a tough team with great guard depth and a unique blend of size and speed. They are still very young and don’t have much playoff experience, so they’d be the lower of the four opponents. Denver is a tough one. They have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic, and at full strength, they present some matchup problems for Phoenix.

Houston, we have a problem. Phoenix has struggled against them during the regular season, but each matchup has had its fair sahre of injuries on each side. The latest loss came at the hands of a KD game-winner in a super winnable game. I don’t feat them as much now as I did at the beginning of the year. But they have a ton of wings and big forwards, making it a tough matchup for Phoenix.

I’d rank these four teams in order of least wanting to play them to most as follows:

1. OKC Thunder
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Houston Rockets
4. San Antonio Spurs

The odds are Phoenix plays one of these four teams in the opening round, barring an unexpected injury or team landslide. Minnesota and Los Angeles are lurking as well, and in the next tier I’d go:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Los Angeles Lakers

These next few weeks will tell us a lot about these teams and should help the dust settle a bit. Or maybe we all stay bunched up, and it continues to be pure chaos. Either way, it’s fun to be in these discussions.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...ions-seeding-race-matchups-analysis-standings

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Game Recap: Atlanta delivered another painful chapter for the Suns

The road trip is over, and the Suns are coming home limping, literally and figuratively. They went back to Atlanta, a place they have not won in since 2014, and I am fully convinced that city is cursed. In a 110–103 loss to the Hawks, Phoenix did not only lose a game, they lost $88.7 million in payroll.

It started with Jalen Green, playing only his second game back from a hamstring injury, exiting in the first quarter with hamstring tightness. Same leg. Same sinking feeling.

Jalen Green injury update:

Green (precautionary right hamstring tightness) will not return tonight.

— Amanda_Pflugrad (@Amanda_Pflugrad) January 24, 2026

And yet, the Suns rallied. Down as many as 11, they clawed their way back and carried a seven-point lead into the end of the third quarter. Then the other shoe dropped. Devin Booker went down.

Devin Booker rolled his right ankle pretty bad.

He is being helped to the LR now.

— Amanda_Pflugrad (@Amanda_Pflugrad) January 24, 2026

Now the Suns return home for a five-game homestand carrying more questions than answers. This is the kind of loss that lingers because we do not know the severity. We do not know timelines. Booker finished with 31 points. The Suns were in position to win, but once the stars were gone, the offense stalled, and execution vanished.

The road trip ends at 3–3. Respectable. But the bigger story is this. They are headed home, and they are hurt.

Game Flow​

First Half​

The Suns came out of the gate with good rhythm, knocking down six of their first 11 shots and hitting 2-of-3 from deep. Atlanta was sharper though, opening 8-of-12 and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Three different Hawks hit the five-point mark early, and that collective punch gave them a 19-14 lead heading into the first timeout.

There was one defensive possession that stood out immediately. Oso Ighodaro found himself defending a two-on-one break and held his ground long enough for help to arrive. The result was three straight missed shots by Atlanta. That is the kind of sequence he gives you quietly, consistently, and it still feels underrated, even as the appreciation for his work is starting to catch up.

Jalen Green checked in off the bench and showed a little rust early, which was expected. Then the speed showed up. He blew by Luke Kennard with ease, leaving him reaching for air and taking his ankles along for the ride. That burst changes the geometry of the floor every time it shows itself.

Oh dear lord Jalen Green…you didn’t have to take Luke Kennard’s ankles from him! That man has a family!

pic.twitter.com/p6TMcWcmZP

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) January 24, 2026

Unfortunately, right after that sequence, Green headed back to the locker room.

From there, the bench picked up right where it has all road trip. When Grayson Allen checked in, the Suns were down 19-14. By the time the first quarter ended, Phoenix was on top 31-27. Allen capped it with a driving finger roll as the buzzer sounded, finishing the quarter at +9 with seven points. The second unit drove it. 15 bench points, 7 of the final 10 shots made, and suddenly the Suns had momentum and a lead heading into the second.

GRAYSON BEATS THE BUZZER pic.twitter.com/T8OG7Iex1E

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 24, 2026

Grayson kept it rolling to open the second quarter, staying active off the ball and cashing in on an easy look at the rim. But turnovers started to creep in, and they hurt. Phoenix coughed it up three times early, fueling a 16–9 Atlanta run that flipped the feel of the game.

Midway through the quarter, the Hawks pushed it further with an 11–2 burst that stretched the lead to eight. CJ McCollum, acquired in the Trae Young deal, was a problem. He poured in 16 first-half points off the bench, 14 of them in the second, and Phoenix never quite found the brake pedal.

Out of a timeout with three minutes left, the Suns answered. A quick 7–0 run tied it at 54–54, punctuated by a Devin Booker three. He followed it with another on the next trip, finishing the half 3-of-6 from deep with 15 points.

But McCollum had the last word, closing the quarter with a personal 5–0 run. Atlanta won the second 37–28, dominated bench scoring 20–8, and carried a 64–59 lead into the locker room. They had 17 fast break points to the Suns’ 4.

Second Half​

As the second half opened, the Suns got the gut-punch confirmation that Jalen Green would not return, ruled out with hamstring tightness. And almost on cue, Atlanta twisted the knife. A 17–3 run.

If you are looking for insult layered neatly on top of injury, this was the moment. One piece of bad news, immediately followed by the game tilting hard in the wrong direction. You could feel it in the building. The air went out. The climb got steeper. And suddenly Phoenix was chasing both the score and the circumstance.

But the Suns did not fold. Not even close. Devin Booker grabbed the wheel and dragged Phoenix back into it, igniting a 20–9 run with shot-making and sheer force of will. He stayed scorching from beyond the arc, and after staring down an 11-point hole, he erased it himself. When Booker drilled his fifth three on his eighth attempt midway through the third, the Suns were suddenly back in front by one. Same building. Same game. Completely different energy.

This is where stars earn their status. With uncertainty around Jalen, Booker has stabilized the game, controlled the pace, and led by example.

Leadership isn’t always loud…but this one is. https://t.co/wW1hE9uhuC

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) January 24, 2026

And then the clamps came out. Phoenix turned the game into a street fight on defense, bodies on the floor, hands everywhere, every loose ball treated like it owed them money. They imposed their will possession by possession and pushed the lead out to seven.

Then, cruel timing struck again. In transition, Devin Booker glanced back, never saw Onyeka Okongwu step into his path, and came down on his foot. His right ankle twisted. Booker stayed down, pain written all over him, before being helped up and limping toward the locker room to join Jalen Green.

Devin Booker is serious pain after rolling his right ankle on Onyeka Okongwu's foot.

He limped back to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/nihBMpFtcL

— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) January 24, 2026

Booker had 16 points in the third and 31 in the game at the time of his injury.

The Suns won the third quarter 32-20, scored 12 points off 9 Atlanta turnovers, and showcased how disruptive they can be when locked in. They entered the fourth up 91-84, but down their two stars.

A 16–8 run by Atlanta opened the fourth quarter and immediately erased the cushion Devin Booker had built before everything went sideways. Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu each dropped 7 points to start the frame, and suddenly the Suns were scrambling.

Then we hit clutch time, and the obvious question was who was going to score. Collin Gillespie answered first, ripping off a quick 4–0 burst to put Phoenix back in front, 104–103. For a brief moment, there was order.

CJ McCollum ruined that calm. He had been a problem all night, and he stayed one, answering with his own 3–0 run to swing the lead back to Atlanta.

After that, the Suns offense flatlined. Completely. The final three minutes were chaos, perimeter passes with no purpose, rushed looks, heavily contested shots, nothing finding the bottom of the net. Atlanta closed on an 8–0 run, and that was the ballgame. Suns score 12 in the 4th and lose 110-103.

---

Up Next​

The Suns head home after this long roadie and have the next five games at the friendly confines of the Morg. First up? The Miami Heat on Sunday at 6:00pm.

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...len-green-hamstring-devin-booker-ankle-injury

 

[Phoenix Suns]

Injury Update: Devin Booker departs with an ankle injury

What’s the phrase, insult to injury. There is something about Atlanta. State Farm Arena feels cursed, at least for the Phoenix Suns. They have not won in this city since 2014, and on Friday night, the bad juju showed up again. Only his second game back, and Jalen Green was lost once more.

That kind of moment hits a team in the chest. This is a group that has lived the rehab with him, sweat by sweat, day by day. You can see how much joy he gets from playing with, how badly he wants to be out there, and when that gets taken away again, it lands emotionally. Hard.

Devin Booker tried to steady everything. He poured in 16 points in the third quarter and finished with 31, dragging the Suns forward with force of will alone. And then, because Atlanta apparently demands a sacrifice, it happened again.

With 5.2 seconds left in the quarter, Booker was running back in transition. He glanced over his shoulder, never saw Onyeka Okongwu in front of him, and stepped on his foot. His right ankle twisted. He hit the floor in pain, then limped off toward the locker room.

Devin Booker is serious pain after rolling his right ankle on Onyeka Okongwu's foot.

He limped back to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/nihBMpFtcL

— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) January 24, 2026

On a night already weighed down by losing Jalen Green, the Suns were forced to process losing Devin Booker too. I do not know much in this world. But I know this. I hate Atlanta.

The Suns lost the game 110-103 as their offense became inept in the fourth quarter, scoring just 12 points. And Booker? Per Jordan Ott, he left on crutches.

"You feel for them."

Jordan Ott as he confirmed right ankle injury for Devin Booker.

Booker left the locker room after the game on crutches, something players use so they don't put pressure on it.

He was struggling to put pressure on it when leaving the court with the injury.… pic.twitter.com/oQjqmu5r1e

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 24, 2026

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...jalen-green-injury-devin-booker-ankle-setback

 

[Phoenix Suns]

The increasingly vicious nature of Stan Culture

Stan Culture is everywhere these days. You really cannot avoid it. You know what I’m talking about. Those Twitter accounts that are unreasonably – ahem – enthusiastic about a player.

Not a state. Not a city. Not a team. A. Player.

Now, I won’t even try to get into the psychology of what compels a human being to create a Twitter account for the sole purpose of hiding behind a glorified Twitter egg profile picture and trying to suckle at the teat of an NBA player for whom they have what, in the very least, is a “concerning” level of interest. And the Stan does not exist for the mere purpose of supporting the object of the Stan’s affection, but instead, the Stan is willing to throw anyone and everyone under the bus to defend any perceived failure of said NBA player.

The net result? A collective headache for those of us out there who are sane.

That said, I assure you that I am not quite at the “old man yelling at a cloud” stage of my life, so I’m not here to complain about the existence of Stans in general. Are they weird? Sure. But aren’t we all a little weird?

However, there is a point where it goes beyond weird. It goes beyond a Stan just being a whiny, petulant brat. There’s a point where it just gets vicious.

Which brings me to the impetus behind all of this. Phoenix Suns fans watched Jalen Green leave the game last night, again, because of a hamstring. Then, as you scroll through Twitter, you see garbage like this:

Ahahahahahah suns fans ahahahahah https://t.co/XihMzJAjni

— YL Freddie (@HeavyOnKD) January 24, 2026

And this:

Suns lost LMAO. I am telling you that team is so fraudulent. Dillion brooks culture setter 4-18 and 1-5 from 3. He’s fucking garbage. Jalen green a lost cause. Rockets absolutely fleeced the suns and by far won the trade. Suns are finished

— KDprime (@forthefacts) January 24, 2026

It goes beyond “weird“ when faceless Stans expressly take joy in the literal pain of another human being. There is nowhere within the bounds of human decency where that is acceptable. There just is not.

Certainly, the target of the Stans’ affection – in this case, Kevin Durant – would not support someone openly mocking an apparent injury to another NBA player, right?

Presumably not. But when someone calls out one of those Stans for mocking Green’s injury, and KD responds like this…

Your whole life is centered around banter on X…I feel for you Thomas….go find your purpose in life my son.

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 24, 2026

…that certainly does not help dissuade the increasingly vicious nature of Stan Culture. One may even say that, perhaps, KD should do better.

But who am I to judge? At the end of the day, perhaps we can all rest easy just remembering that Stans are a bunch of weirdos.

Now, give me some prayer circle.

Suns Prayer Circle:

. 🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯
Jalen
🕯 Green’s 🕯
Hammy
🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) November 9, 2025

Suns Prayer Circle:

. 🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯
Devin
🕯 Booker’s 🕯
Lower Body
🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) January 14, 2026

Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...abilityasingly-vicious-nature-of-stan-culture