The Phoenix Suns have been here before â and Devin Booker is already tired of it.
After clawing back from a double-digit deficit in Salt Lake City only to fall short again, Booker didnât mince words about the Sunsâ early-game issues and growing urgency.
âWe gotta figure out better ways to start the game so weâre not exerting all the energy to get back into it,â Booker told AZCentralâs Duane Rankin after a 138-134 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz. âWe showed a lot of fight. We showed we can do it. Itâs multiple games weâve done that now, so we gotta figure out the starting thing.â
Sunsâ Rally Not Enough
Phoenix trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, falling behind 27â7 midway through the first quarter as the Jazz shredded their defense with crisp ball movement. Jazz star Lauri Markkanen and promising point guard Keyonte George got the Jazz moving earlyÂ
Despite the rough start, Booker led the comeback charge, scoring 34 points on 11-for-26 shooting while adding 10 assists. He hit two late threes to heroically get the game to overtime. Grayson Allen tacked on 23 points, while Mark Williams played 31 minutes off the bench and recorded a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds.Â
But once again, it wasnât enough. Markkanen flourished, scoring a career-high 51 points and showing why heâs been the topic of so many trade rumors in the past two seasons.Â
âItâs tough when you have to dig out of those holes every night,â Booker told AZCentral. âWe needed this one. It puts more pressure on the next one. I know itâs early in the season, but we gotta start looking at these games as ones that we must get.â
Early Struggles Becoming a Pattern
The loss marked the third straight defeat for Phoenix. The Suns have not won since an opening night victory over the Sacramento Kings (120-116), and prior to the loss to the Jazz, had lost by an average of 25 points.Â
The Suns entered the season with plenty of questions amidst a roster in flux. The Suns moved on from Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, after the failed experiment of forming a super team around Booker did not yield any traction in the playoffs. Bealâs buyout, and Durantâs trade to the Rockets brought in Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, the later whom has not played a game for the Suns yet this season.
Greenâs return could be enough to help the Suns get back on track â or at least lighten the offensive burden on Bookerâs shoulders.Â
Whatâs Next for the Suns
Phoenixâs offense has shown flashes but not enough consistency to drive the team to wins. The Suns rank 26th in team field goal percentage (43.5%) and are one of the bottom-half offenses in the league with 116.8 points per game. The Suns also give up 129 points per game, the 29th mark in the NBA through four games.Â
The Suns get some home cooking on October 29 when they face the Memphis Grizzlies, and will get a rematch with the Jazz on October 31 â this time playing in the friendly confines of Phoenix.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Devin Booker Sounds the Alarm on Phoenix Suns After OT Loss appeared first on Heavy Sports.