Problems mount for the Phoenix Suns, as they suffer yet another loss following their much-awaited Big 3 debut. On top of it, they faced another blow on Friday night, as Bradley Beal attracted another injury, days after his return. On the other hand, the New York Knicks franchise leader Jalen Brunson shouldered the team to produce a blowout win, with his historical performance.
Let’s find out the three key takeaways from the Knicks’ domination over the Suns.
1. Bradley Beal succumbs to another injury
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The Suns struggle to keep their roster healthy, as Bradley Beal walked back to the locker room again with an injury. After missing most of the season, Beal joined Kevin Durant and Devin Booker for the first time in their previous outing against the Brooklyn Nets. While the result didn’t go in their favor, the NBA world expected the trio to explode on the Friday night game.
Unfortunately, Beal walked off the court in the first quarter after sustaining an ankle injury caused during a collision with the Knicks’ Donte DiVincenzo. The star point guard dropped 6 points in his 5-minute stay. In return, the refs slapped the Knicks player with a flagrant 1 foul.
2. Julius Randle continued his “bad habits” amid Jalen Brunson’s domination
Julius Randle had an excellent game supporting his leader Jalen Brunson on his dream game to produce a blow out win. Randle had been previously criticized by the pundits for his poor habits in the offensive end, especially for excessive turnovers and shooting 3-pointers randomly. Even though he scored 23 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists, ESPN’s NBA analyst and former player Kendrick Perkins gave out a hot take on the player. He took to X handle and wrote, “I know Randle has been playing some good ball tonight… but he can’t keep going back to these bad ass habits offensively. My God.”
I know Randle has been playing some good ball tonight… but he can’t keep going back to these bad ass habits offensively. My God.
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 16, 2023
On the other hand, Jalen Brunson scored 50 points, dropping 9 three pointers from the arc with 100% 3pt FG. He also received words of praise from ex-Warriors GM Bob Myers for his brilliant game.
3. KD and D-Book dive back goes in vain
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After losing Beal in the first quarter, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker took up the responsibility to save the Suns ship from sinking. Even though both the stars had a poor shooting night, they both managed to drop 29 and 28 points respectively. On the other hand, Jusuf Nurkic has been the find for the Suns, as he continued to show support consistently. He dropped 21 points with a brilliant 9-13 FG.
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Apart from this players, the Suns didn’t have any support from the bench. The team scored 25 points with 7 players from the bench. Beal’s injury definitely has cost the game for the Suns. Moreover, the Suns were criticized for lacking depth in their roster and this game proved it.
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Will KD and D-Book be able to steady the ship? Let us know in the comments below.