On December 23, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and the Suns challenged the Kings away. The Suns' previous record was only 14-13, and the team entered December with a 3-7 record after a seven-game winning streak in November, and the ranking also slipped from the top four in the West all the way to the ninth in the West, and the Lakers and Warriors were reduced to the same level. There are two main reasons why the Suns struggle, one is that the singles of Booker and Durant are not enough to drive the whole team's offense, Booker can't digest too much of the ball as a point guard, and Durant is frequently pinched. In addition, there is the injury problem, after Beal returned again, he suffered an ankle injury, and was absent until at least early January, plus Gordon, Okogie, and Allen all have injuries of varying degrees, and it is reasonable that the team's record has plummeted.
The opponent Kings started with a 16-10 record, including a 10-4 record at home, the team's core Fox averaged 30 points and 6 assists per game, and Sabonis averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists per game to support the team. Fox is also nominated for MVP, and this season's average rebounds + assists per game, Jokic averages 21.7 times per game in the league, Sabonis averages 19.4 times per game in the league's second! In the last game with the Celtics, the Kings made 21 three-pointers but lost by 25 points, the first team in NBA history! Suns starters: Booker + Allen + Gordon + Durant + Eubanks, Nurkic is out for personal reasons.
Kings starters: Fox + Huerter + Barnes + Murray + Sabonis. At the beginning of the game, Booker fed Eubanks, Sabonis overturned Eubanks and dunked continuously, Eubanks was blown up! Allen stopped the bleeding with three points, Durant made an empty jump shot, the Suns replaced Azubuike, Fox hit three points in a row, Murray broke through and threw up, and the Kings opened up the difference early. In the middle of the period, Fox and Huerter burst inside and out, Durant and Goodwin made consecutive foul free throws to stop the bleeding, Barnes also hit a three-pointer in the second half, Booker led Azubuke to respond continuously, and Durant continued to make kills at the end of the quarter, after the first quarter, the Kings led the Suns 35-30, and the Suns offense relied on Durant and Booker to play singles, and the Kings really blossomed more.
Back in the second quarter, Vezinkov came up and threw a three-pointer, Fox also hit a jumper, and after the difference reached double digits, Metu scored 4 points in a row to stop the bleeding, but McGee and Sabonis took turns to make kills, Monk countered with a tomahawk slam dunk, and after Azubuike scored a violent dunk, Durant and Booker ate technical fouls respectively. In the middle of the period, Little helped the Suns score, Huerter hit a big open three-pointer, and Durant responded with a layup and an open three-pointer. Allen made a three-pointer in the second half, but Murray and Barnes continued to widen the gap on inside and outside shots, and Suns coach Vogel also received a technical foul, and the Suns trailed the Kings 54-65 at halftime. Durant had 14 points and five rebounds, Booker had 10 points and six assists, and Allen had eight points.
Kings Fox had 19 points and Sabonis had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. In the third quarter, the situation changed abruptly! Sabonis ate the cake in the air, Huerter caught the dunk in the air, Sabonis took off and glided and dunked, and Murray easily hit a three-pointer! During this period, Durant and Booker hit the iron continuously, and the Suns instantly fell behind by 20 points! In the middle of the period, Booker and Durant scored six points in a row to stop the bleeding, Murray and Barnes continued to rain three-pointers, Huerter and Fox cut in various airs, and Murray hit another three-pointer, and the difference had reached 29 points! In the second half, Durant stopped the bleeding with three points, Murray continued to hit three points, and Monk went up to eat cakes. At the end of the quarter, Durant led Saben-Lee to close the gap, and Barnes hit a 3-pointer to give the Kings a 103-84 lead over the Suns at the end of the third quarter.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Saben Lee and Booker attacked continuously, and Monk led Sabonis to stop the Suns. Murray made a jumper, Sabonis made a kill, and the difference between the Suns and Kings was always around 20 points. Allen hit a three-pointer in the decisive moment, but Murray and Sabonis sealed the win with back-to-back singles. The final 3 minutes went straight into garbage time, and finally the Kings beat the Suns 120-105 at home, and the Suns suffered two consecutive defeats, after which the Suns were overtaken by the Lakers and fell to tenth in the West.
Suns stats, Durant 28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 turnovers, Booker 24 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, Azubuke 11 points and 11 rebounds, Allen 11 points and 4 rebounds. Kings stats, Fox 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, Sabonis 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, Huerter 13 points and 5 assists, Barnes 19 points, Murray 21 points and 5 rebounds. The problem with the Suns is that no one can bring the role players up, and the singles of Durant and Booker are half the work, not only are they tired, but they are not yet able to achieve results. In addition, the Suns are scattered on the defensive end!