Facing the Thunder with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal is no picnic, so without it, it becomes very complicated. The Suns can attest to this, with this trip to Oklahoma City without their two All-Stars.
The start of the match will confirm that the evening will be long with a Thunder who starts perfectly. The defense and assists are in place, they block rebounds well. In attack, it moves, it cuts, it circulates well. The first quarter, won by a wide margin (29-14), looked like a demonstration.
It must be said that the main dangers are well monitored. Devin Booker and Jusuf Nurkic are constantly taken, sometimes in groups. They always have a player in front of them. Fortunately for Mike Budenholzer, Ryan Dunn, Tyus Jones and Josh Okogie scored a few points to stay in the race at the break (48-36). This is the last moment of hope for the Suns because the recovery is unsuccessful.
The fault lies with an Oklahoma City team which regains its level of the first quarter in defense. Phoenix is stifled, the rare open shots are missed and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wanders in attack.
Without the two award-winning baskets from Royce O'Neale, the bill would have been much higher (83-60). The last quarter is not really of interest, Mark Daigneault's players remain serious and ensure this very logical success (99-83). It's their third in a row, when it's the second loss in a row for the Suns.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Devin Booker turned off and frustrated. He did not hesitate to blatantly throw Lu Dort in front of a referee. This shows that the full-back experienced a nightmare in this meeting. Never free, never open at 3-point, the All-Star always found a defender, or even several, in his path. He finished with 12 small points at 2/10 on the shoot and 4 lost balls. He “saved” his match with his eight free throws, including six in the last quarter.
– Another very solid match from the Thunder. After having disposed of the Pelicans' B team without trembling, the leader of the Western Conference still had to do the job against a team deprived of two stars. The players did the job seriously and diligently, being excellent in defense. The Suns could never breathe. Certainly, they are forced to play “small ball” because of injuries inside, but the efforts are considerable to plug the holes and block the rebound. Despite a lack of centimeters, they even grabbed 13 offensive rebounds!
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
