Latest news with #PhoenixSuns'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phoenix Suns Make Embarrassing Decision After Brutal 2024-25 Campaign
The Phoenix Suns' season is over, and the most expensive roster in the NBA won only 36 games, missing the Western Conference Play-In tournament. The Suns traded all of their first-round picks for a core of Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant alongside home-grown star Devin Booker, but they seem poised for a very long rebuild. As the Suns head to Cancun, back home, or wherever they plan on spending their summer, the organization had one last bumble, the icing on the cake of their failed season. Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) and guard Devin Booker (1) react on the bench against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Regardless of the outcome, the end of the season usually offers players and coaches one last chance to address the media. Advertisement Players outline highs and lows and offer expectations for next season during these exit interviews. For the most part, questions are friendly despite the season ending without a championship for 29 teams. However, the Suns opted not to hold these interviews this season. As Phoenix starts to navigate a difficult offseason, giving the media a chance to get hints at their plans would have allowed less baseless speculation and more concrete reporting, although, in order to avoid any potential embarrassment, the Suns opted not to go through one last press briefing. To their (and our) credit, the media has done an excellent job at appropriately holding the Suns' organization accountable for their lackluster season and will continue to do so throughout the rebuild. Advertisement Check out the Inside the Suns homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Mike Budenholzer Expected to Be Considered for Western Conference Coaching Job Related: Details Emerge About James Jones, Mat Ishbia's Roles With Phoenix Suns, It's Worrying
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is it time for the Suns to sit Devin Booker and Bradley Beal?
Is it time for the Suns to sit Devin Booker and Bradley Beal? Phoenix Suns v Dallas Mavericks I feel like the poor electrician outside Nakatomi Tower on Christmas Eve, 1988. Just a blue-collar guy with a clipboard and a conscience, dragged into a chaotic opera of egos and explosions. The FBI is barking in my ear, frothing at the mouth, demanding I cut the power — the whole city grid — because some suit with a badge thinks it'll solve everything. Advertisement And as I sit here, staring down the barrel of the Phoenix Suns' final two games, I can hear his voice echoing through the hollow caverns of my basketball soul. 'Shut it down. Shut it down now!' The Phoenix Suns' season, for all intents and purposes, is over. Their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night sealed the fate of their campaign, ensuring they won't make an appearance in the Play-In Tournament, let alone the playoffs. With two games remaining, what's the point? What's the point of sending Devin Booker out there to keep grinding? Why have Bradley Beal bother to push through another lackluster performance? Advertisement There's nothing left to play for. No All-NBA spots to vie for, no playoff berth to chase. It's just pride now. And frankly, that's something this team has struggled to show all season. The fire's been missing, the heart has wilted, and now all that's left is the bitter taste of what could have been. As the final two games slip off the calendar, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer might as well slap a DNP next to Devin Booker and Bradley Beal's names. No reason to risk Devin getting hurt before the summer break. And with Beal's injury history, the risk of him taking a step too far seems all but inevitable. Call it what it is. Like the poor electrician outside Nakatomi Tower, I'm yelling into the void: 'Shut it down!' 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. Advertisement More from
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Valley Suns end inaugural G League season with playoff loss to Stockton Kings
The Valley Suns have been eliminated from the 2025 G League playoffs, falling to the Stockton Kings, 122-114, on Thursday night, April 3, at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. Phoenix Suns' two-way player TyTy Washington Jr. posted a triple-double. He scored 39 points, going 5-of-10 from 3-point range, adding 13 assists with only one turnover, 12 rebounds and two blocks for the fifth-seeded Valley Suns, who completed their inaugural G League season. Advertisement The No. 1 seeded Kings closed the game on a 10-0 run after trailing 114-112 with two minutes left in the game. Stockton is Sacramento's G League team coached by former Phoenix Suns assistant Quinton Crawford. Mason Jones scored a game-high 47 points to go along with nine assists to lead the Kings, who will face the No. 2-seeded Austin Spurs in the conference finals on April 6 at home. Austin is San Antonio's G League team. The Spurs defeated Utah's G League team, the third-seeded Salt Lake City Stars, 123-113, on April 3 in Cedar Park, Texas. The Maine Celtics will face the Osceola Magic in the Eastern Conference finals on April 6 in Kissimmee, Florida. Boston's G League team is a third seed while Orlando's G League squad is the top seed in the East. Advertisement The G League finals, a best-of-3 series, starts April 8. ave opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@ or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns' G League team's inaugural season ends after playoff loss
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Suns star Kevin Durant expected to miss at least a week after rolling ankle after scuffle with Dillon Brooks
Kevin Durant left the Phoenix Suns' blowout loss to the Houston Rockets early on Sunday night after rolling his ankle hard in the second half. The injury came just a quarter after the Suns star got into it briefly with Rockets forward Dillon Brooks — who was then ejected from the game after the scuffle. Advertisement Durant is expected to miss at least a week due to a left ankle sprain, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Durant was driving to the basket in the third quarter at the Footprint Center when his left foot landed completely on Jabari Smith Jr.'s foot in the lane. Durant's left ankle rolled hard, which sent him down to the court awkwardly, clearly in a lot of pain. He was helped up and limped off the floor and back to the locker room. He did not return. Durant was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. He was expected to remain in Phoenix when the team leaves Monday for a three-game trip that starts in Milwaukee. Advertisement Durant drew a foul on the play he was injured, but he did not remain in the game to shoot the free throws. He ended his night with 11 points and seven rebounds. The injury came after an incident with Brooks in the second quarter, though Durant was far from the aggressor there. Brooks was called for a simple foul while trying to guard Durant at the top of the key late in the first half. But well after the initial whistle was blown, Brooks kept making a play for the ball — which led to a bit of shoving between Brooks, Durant and Nick Richards. But when Brooks didn't let it go and started yelling at the official, he was quickly hit with a pair of technicals and thrown out of the game. Once the official ejected Brooks, he briefly tried to charge at the official. An assistant held him back, and then the two left the floor for the locker room. Brooks finished with eight points, one rebound and one assist in 11 minutes. He now has 15 technical fouls this season. He also entered Sunday's game leading the league in fouls this season with 235. Advertisement The Rockets, despite Brooks' ejection, still took a huge 29-point lead into halftime. They outscored the Suns by 21 points in the second quarter alone. Things didn't get any better for Phoenix in the second half, either. Houston cruised to a 148-109 win behind a 33-point night from Jalen Green, pushing the team to 49-26 on the season. The Rockets have won 12 of their past 13 games, and are fighting to hang on to the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings. The Suns, on the other hand, dropped to 35-40 and are sitting 11th in the standings — which has them missing the playoffs entirely — with only seven games left in the regular season. Durant's future with the Suns is unclear, too, after it seemed he was going to be traded at the deadline earlier this year. Durant has one year left on his four-year, $194 million deal with the Suns. Advertisement Durant was expected to stay behind when the Suns leave for a three-game road trip Monday while he undergoes further testing on his ankle. The Suns are back in action Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, and won't be home again until April 8. If Durant misses the team's entire road trip, that could put him in line to return for that April 8 game against the Warriors. But if Durant needs more time to recover, it's possible Sunday's game was the last time he'll see the court this season, and — depending on how the offseason goes — maybe the last time he'll play for the Suns.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phoenix Suns injury report: Bradley Beal late scratch vs Pelicans with left calf tightness
Phoenix Suns' guard Bradley Beal will miss Thursday's home game against New Orleans as a late scratch with left calf tightness. Beal is coming off a 24-point effort in Tuesday's 151-148 overtime loss at Memphis as he played a season-high 43 minutes. Beal also delivered a season-high 11 assists in the defeat. "I don't think there was one thing,' Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said before Thursday's game when asked how Beal hurt his calf. 'In the course of an NBA game, you take a lot of hits, a lot of things happen. He left a lot out there on the court.' Beal wasn't on the initial injury report released Wednesday. Monte Morris (low back tightness) and Cody Martin (sports hernia) were ruled out. "I don't think there was one thing. In the course of an NBA game, you take a lot of hits, a lot of things happen. He left a lot out there on the court."Suns coach Mike Budenholzer on Bradley Beal being out tonight with left calf tightness. Went for 24 points and a season-high… — Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 28, 2025 Then Beal was added to the report as questionable after Thursday's morning shootaround at the team's practice facility. 'Came in (Wednesday), had a great day on the (trainer) table,' Budenholzer continued. 'Put a lot of time in and again this morning, put a lot of time in. He's not able to go. I don't think it was one incident. Just a physical game, the wear and tear of a game. His calf kind of had some tightness.' Beal is averaging 18 points on 50.4% shooting in 41 games in his second season with the Suns. Connecting on 40.7% of his 3s, Beal was benched Jan. 6 at Philadelphia, but he returned to the starting lineup Saturday at Chicago. He's averaging 24.5 points, going 8-of-17 from 3 in the four games since the NBA All-Star break. Tyus Jones is back in the starting lineup for Thursday's game along with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bol Bol and Nick Richards. Beal replaced Jones in the starting lineup at Chicago. Beal played 41 minutes in Sunday's loss at Toronto before playing 43 Tuesday, marking the first time he's played 40-plus minutes in consecutive regular season games since November 2022 when he played 49 minutes Nov. 18 versus Miami and 41 Nov. 20 against Charlotte while with Washington. Beal did it in last year's playoffs, logging 42 minutes in Game 2 and 43 in Game 3 against Minnesota. The Timberwolves swept them in the first round. Have opinions about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@ or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin. Support local journalism. Start your online subscription. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns guard Bradley Beal late scratch vs Pelicans with calf tightness
