The Phoenix Suns hadn’t been two games above .500 in more than a month before Saturday night’s 119-109 win over the NBA-worst Washington Wizards in front of a sellout crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center.
The Suns (23-21) were once 14-12 after a Dec. 19 loss at Indiana. They’ve gone 9-9 since but won six of their last eight games in building momentum going into the NBA All-Star break next month.
Kevin Durant scored a team-high 29 points, Bradley Beal delivered 20 off the bench and Nick Richards posted another impressive double-double of 20 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.
Devin Booker added 18 points despite shooting 0-of-8 from 3 while Tyus Jones chipped in 16 points. Kyle Kuzma paced the Wizards (6-38) with a game-high 30 points.
The Suns led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter. Washington (6-36) cut that lead to four, but Phoenix answered with a 9-2 run to end the quarter to take a 96-85 lead as Durant scored seven straight points and Tyus Jones capped the run with a jumper with 0.8 seconds left.
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Phoenix rushed the lead back up to 15 early in the fourth and the Wizards once again responded to trim that deficit to four again with 1:57 remaining in the game before the Suns pulled away.
Here are takeaways as the Suns look to win a third straight game for the second time this month on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers (26-19) at Footprint Center.
Phoenix is now eighth in the West after being as low as 11th.
Budenholzer addresses Nurkic’s relationship comments
Jusuf Nurkic spoke with The Arizona Republic before the game about his current situation with the Suns of not playing, trade talk and his relationship with Suns coach Mike Budenholzer.
“I didn’t talk to coach for two months,” said Nurkic when asked if Budenholzer talked to him about his role with Richards joining the team in a trade on Jan. 15. “We don’t have a relationship.”
After the game, Budenholzer was initially asked about the relationship with Nurkic.
“It’s never easy in this league,” Budenholzer said. “He hasn’t played. I’m sure he’s frustrated. I respect that.”
When pressed about the situation, Budenholzer said, “There’s been conversations that have been had. There’s been communication, but we’ve got three or four guys that play the same position. We’re going to go with who we think gives us our best chance. You’ve got to earn your minutes. And that’s been communicated.”
Budenholzer has been consistent with the “earn minutes” theme. Nurkic hasn’t played since Jan. 7 due to a combination of Budenholzer not playing him a total of three games counting Saturday, an illness that sidelined him four games and reconditioning over a two-game stretch.
Budenholzer added that Nurkic has been “fine” as far as being a good teammate in the locker room.
Sources informed The Republic the Suns have been trying to shop Nurkic as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. This could end a number of ways, but it is clear things aren’t working out for Nurkic.
Richards continues to make impact
The Suns have also found their starting center in Richards.
Acquiring him in a trade on Jan. 15, Phoenix now has a younger, more athletic big who has produced two double-doubles in his first four games with this latest one a near 20-20 night.
Any points he scores out of the post are a bonus, but Durant is encouraging him to attack guys down low. The Suns need his rebounding and defense more than his scoring, but they will take 19 points from Richards any night, especially if he’s getting to the line seven times and making six.
Richards is not the team’s savior.
The Suns still have much room to improve, but he’s bringing more to the table at the center position than they were getting with Mason Plumlee, rookie Oso Ighodaro and Nurkic.
Dunn hurt, Beal back in starting lineup?
The Suns lost Ryan Dunn early in the first quarter with a left ankle sprain. He checked out with 10:11 remaining in the quarter and was replaced by Beal.
By the end of the first quarter, Beal had scored six points in helping the Suns build a double-digit lead. Beal wound up starting the second half with Jones, Booker, Durant and Richards.
Budenholzer said Dunn’s imaging came back negative and they’ll see how he’s feeling in the morning. The Suns have Sunday off, but Dunn will probably get some treatment at the practice facility.
Here’s the next question?
When Dunn returns, will he jump back into the starting lineup or will Beal return as the starter?
Decisions, decisions, decisions
Another layer to this is Tyus Jones.
He’s now playing more off the ball while Booker, Beal and Durant are handling it more. It’s been an adjustment, but Jones scored 16 points and dished out five assists to two turnovers in 32 minutes.
Jones went just 1-of-5 on 3s as he’s become more and more of a catch-and-shoot guy, but he shot a combined 5-of-11 from distance in Phoenix’s two previous games.
The Suns may be finding an offensive formula just moving parts within.
What Suns said after win
Devin Booker after sweeping home-away series vs. Wizards: “There were good spurts in the game and bad spurts. I think our true tests are coming up this next week. We’ve got to get ready for the Clippers on Monday.”
Mike Budenholzer on Suns winning six of last eight games: “Book has been in a good place. Brad was great tonight, Kevin. I think we’re just finding ways to win some games, put some good stretches together. We’ve got to continue it.”
Kevin Durant on becoming only the seventh player in NBA history to receive at least 15 NBA All-Star selections with the other six being Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O’Neal: “It means a lot to be in that company and some guys that’s in that group of people that change the world to be honest. Just from how they played the game, how they approached the game, the attitude, their personality, their stories, their journey inspired the world. And I’m just grateful to be a part of that. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but it’s a lot of people who sacrificed their time to help me out to become the player that I am today. So, when I do stuff like that, I always reflect and just grateful for the people that stood in there with me and got me better as well. So, I can’t wait to be out there in The Bay in a place that I’m familiar with as well. I’m looking forward to that.”
Nick Richards on grabbing a combined 34 rebounds in last two games after collecting only four in loss at Cleveland: “Rebounding for sure is one of the things that coach, like he emphasized with being on our first meeting, trying my hardest. The second game, I only have four. He came to me after the game, and he told me, ‘We brought you here for a reason. You’ve got to step up.’ So, yeah, just trying my best to just focus on that part of the game, and I think everything else will take care of itself.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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In a recent interview, Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic made some controversial comments about his relationship with head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic claimed that there was a lack of trust and communication between him and Budenholzer, which ultimately affected his performance on the court.
In response to Nurkic’s comments, Budenholzer addressed the issue head-on in a press conference. He stated that he was disappointed to hear Nurkic’s views on their relationship, as he had always strived to maintain open lines of communication with all of his players.
Budenholzer went on to explain that he values honesty and transparency in his coaching style, and that he encourages his players to speak up if they have any concerns or issues. He emphasized that he is always willing to listen and work with his players to address any problems that may arise.
Budenholzer concluded by expressing his hope that he and Nurkic can move past this misunderstanding and continue to work together towards the common goal of success for the team. He made it clear that he is committed to fostering a positive and productive relationship with all of his players, including Nurkic.
Overall, Budenholzer’s response to Nurkic’s comments demonstrates his professionalism and dedication to creating a healthy and supportive environment for his players. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold, but it is clear that Budenholzer is willing to put in the effort to mend any strained relationships and move forward in a positive direction.
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