On December 30, Beijing time, the NBA regular season ushered in a key matchup, and the Suns faced the Hornets at home. The Suns previously had a 15-15 record and were only 10th in the West. In the last game against the Rockets, Durant blasted 27 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, leading the team to finally win, but it did not solve the fundamental problem, and the team lacked stable ball control. Booker can't eat as many balls, and it affects his personal finishing efficiency, Durant is easily caught and has a lot of turnovers. In addition, the internal atmosphere of the team is not quite right, Booker has repeatedly stood up and complained, believing that the core of the team should be held responsible, and Durant is a little frustrated, believing that the team is not competitive. And Bill, who had only played a total of 6 games before, chose to come back early after experiencing a lower back injury + ankle injury!
However, Beal's average of 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season is really average. The key Bill has a net efficiency value of -14.1 per 100 rounds, which is already the lowest level in the league, and Bill is not the type to drive his teammates with a big core with the ball. Therefore, the US media suggested that the Suns' top priority was to pursue the Trailblazer's Brogton, but to tell the truth, the Suns really don't have too many chips in their hands! The Hornets had a previous record of 7 wins and 22 losses, and they have suffered nine consecutive defeats, ranking 13th in the East. In yesterday's game, they lost to the Lakers by 21 points, and the back-to-back road trip in the West was indeed tough. The Hornets starting lineup is: Rozier + Miller + McGovins + Bridges + Richards, and the Suns starting lineup is: Booker + Beal + Allen + Durant + Nurkic starters.
At the beginning of the game, Beal assisted Nurkic to eat cake + Durant jumper, Miller and Rozier blossomed inside and out, and Beal continued to feed Durant to hit three points. Nurkic returned from a few games off, was aggressive, and kept making kills, and the Hornets quickly overtook the score under Rozier's leadership. In the middle of the period, Richards ate cakes, Miller and Rozier rained three-pointers, the Suns were stretched apart again, and Nurkic scored 6 points in a row to stop the Hornets at the critical moment, all of which were assists from Durant. In the second half, Durant made a jumper, Miller and Booker hit a three-pointer, and at the end of the quarter, Gordon and Metu also added three points, and the Suns led the Hornets 36-30 at the end of the first quarter. Durant is interested in linking up the team, Beal has a mediocre presence, and Nurkic plays dominantly under the basket.
Back in the second quarter, the Hornets' Nick Smith hit three points, the Suns relied on Metu to keep the lead, in the middle of the Nick Smith and Rozier blossomed inside and out, Beal scored consecutive jump shots, Durant made a kill + Gordon hit a three-point shot, and the Suns finally stabilized the situation! Booker also hit consecutive three-pointers at the end of the quarter, with Rozier and Bridges leading the team to bite the score. At halftime, the Suns led the Hornets 68-58, Booker had 15 points and five assists, Nurkic had 14 points and nine rebounds, Durant had 11 points and six assists, and Beal had four points and four assists. The Hornets Rozier and Miller both scored 17 points.
At the beginning of the second half, Booker scored 6 points in a row, and then Rozier and Booker continued to compete for three-point shots, after Booker's three-point hand was opened, Nurkic also ate cakes one after another, Gordon continued to score three points, and the Suns quickly opened a 20-point lead! Both teams were accurate in their three-point shots, but the Hornets had no defense at all, and the rebounds could not be protected. In the second half, Booker continued to feed Nurkic, and Allen countered with a dragon, but the Hornets repeatedly seized the opportunity to counterattack and beat the Suns to gain a stable foothold. Rozier and Gordon hit three-pointers at the end of the quarter, and the Suns led the Hornets 103-89 after the third quarter. The Suns' defense was also useless, allowing Rozier to easily score 30 points in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Durant burst inside and out, Bridges continued to respond with three points, Rozier continued to make kills + soared three points, chasing only 10 points! At the critical moment, Durant scored 5 points in a row to stop the bleeding, and then Booker and Nurkic attacked strongly, Gordon hit a three-pointer, and after the Suns opened up the difference again, the Hornets were powerless to reverse the decline. In the last 2 minutes, the game lost suspense, and the Suns also replaced the main team to rest. In the end, the Suns defeated the Hornets 133-119 at home, ushering in two consecutive wins, and the Hornets suffered ten consecutive defeats!
Suns statistics, Booker 35 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, Beal 6 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists, Durant 21 points, 11 assists and 3 blocks, Nurkic 24 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks, Allen 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Gordon 21 points. According to the Hornets, Rozier scored 42 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, Bridges 11 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, Miller 20 points and 3 assists, Washington 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and Martin 13 points and 4 rebounds. Durant evolved into a ball-handling core, mainly tandem, driving Nurkic and Gordon to blossom more, Beal's first comeback felt average, but he also ate a part of the ball, and Booker was able to finish with all his might.