The SUNS lost 107-96 to the Lakers on the road and missed a chance to close the division gap. After the game, they were 31-37 and 11 in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind the Mavericks.
After the game, Sun coach Budden said, “Our goal is to get into the playoffs, then go to the playoffs and do something there. We have a lot of talented players on our team, and we are all motivated. So we have to win, and we have to play good basketball to achieve those goals.” However, the SUNS have repeatedly failed to win.
“The Los Angeles Lakers, without Lebron James, easily beat the Phoenix SUNS, led by Kevin Durant, 107-96. The SUNS ‘performance was lifeless, lacking urgency and defensive intensity. With Durant, Booker and Beal in the lineup, the record is 31-37. Coach Budenholzer is to blame and he will probably be the first to be sacked.”
The SUNS also seemed to have problems internally, with the team demoralized. “We always get off to bad starts,” Booker said. “It’s frustrating. Sometimes we do the right thing, but sometimes we don’t. There were moments when we showed what we can do, but then we fell short because of some mistakes. Like the last game, we missed some shots and then it affected our defence. If you play with all your strength and energy, you will feel good no matter what the result is. But I don’t think we’re doing that right now.”
Booker made 6 of 17 shots, 0 of 3 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws in 40 minutes, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, 11 assists and one steal. His offensive efficiency is not high, but Budenholzer still praised Booker’s performance: “I think he’s been very good at organizing the offence. He had 13 assists last game and 11 tonight. He always finds the right position and creates opportunities for his teammates. Offensively, we need to look back at the film and figure out what we can improve on. But actually, I think Booker’s playmaking and passing vision are excellent. I haven’t seen the video yet, but I was very pleased with his passing and overall performance. I don’t think it’s necessarily related to the number of shots he takes, he creates good offensive chances on a lot of possessions.”
