Game Recap: The Phoenix Suns bounce back with a tough 123-115 win over the Atlanta Hawks

On By Littum

The Suns WIN!

I’ll keep this quick:

Bright Side fans, thank you for your passion and support of John Voita and crew. I’m Trevor Booth. You may know me from the team’s run to 2021 NBA finals and in my opinion, a not-so-hot take (or now…cool) that Devin Booker is a top-3 player in our league we love. Looks like I’m eating crow (come on book)!

I know it’s been a while, but I hope you enjoy my deep love and desire to deliver Phoenix Suns news. So without further adieu, let’s recap.

Phoenix’s 115-104 loss to the lowly Charlotte Hornets sent the Suns into a tailspin. Fortunately, they were able to get out of it in time to win Thursday’s game at the Footprint Center over the Trae-Young led Atlanta Hawks123-115. The Suns improved to 17-19.

Top artists

  • Bradley Beal: 25 PTS (11-of-16 FG, 2-of-5 3-point FG), 7 REB, 3 STL, 2 AST, 1 BLK
  • Kevin Durant: 23 PTS (9-of-15, 2-of-7), 7 AST, 3 BLK, 2 REB
  • Devin Booker: 20 PTS (9-of-21, 0-of-8), 12 AST, 3 REB
  • Per the Suns, Beal and Allen became the first pair of Suns bench players to score 20-plus points in the same game since 2022.

I will never tell people what to do, but meditating on positive words has kept my blood from boiling over. The sun is the main cause of my stress. So here’s a good one!

“What you’re trying to do is take away the other guy’s will to win.” – the late, great Bill Russell.

Transparency time!

As an eight-year reporter, being fully responsible for my words and actions is an important value for me. I should also share with you when I add some juice to my analysis, so let me be clear:

I’ve been thinking about resetting the button since last November. Bradley Beal’s move to the bench seemed to me to be a sign of negligence relative to its “Big 3” tenure. Beal, who some consider to have the NBA’s worst contract, is a true professional, through and through, and I think his agent Mark Bartelstein’s comments indicated that he is focused on winning like a sun.

Unfortunately, just that, winning, has been missing. But I was encouraged by this win over the Hawks.

So let’s go together.

Summary of games

First half

Some of you may be wondering why the Suns had 68 points, shot 60% from the field, had KD, Book and Brad ALL in double figures scoring and still trailed at halftime. If you missed the game, I was as amazed as you are when I went to build this recap.

Let’s get the negative out of the way. The Suns allowed the Hawks to make 12-of-18 threes. Trae Young led Atlanta with 13 points, but it was hot shooting from estranged former Sun David Roddy (3 3-pointers), Bogdan Bogdanovic (3 3-pointers, questionable to play with right knee inflammation) and Vit Krejci (2 3-pointers), who kept the Hawks in front with 72 points in the first half. Why, can’t the Sun, guard, the 3!?

But Kevin Durant was there to save us. The 36-year-old legend, who has carried the Suns through what I’ve said is a two-year stretch of failure, led us with 16 points, making 6-of-6 shooting from two. He also had four rebounds — second most to Book, who had seven — and two turnovers. Must limit those takeaways for opponents.

I thought Book and Our Glorious King to me was better than he has been for most, if not all, of his up-and-down, career-turning years. I’ve read comments from Suns fans who think Book has regressed, but he’s had good games this year. He had 13 points and seven assists, like I said, against one turnover.

Here’s the good news: The Suns trailed by four and had a much better chance to pull out a win in the second half. They’re a much older, experienced group than the Hawks (the Suns’ average age is 28.4 and Atlanta’s is the youngest at 25.1), so in a barnburner I thought the Suns would come away with a win.

Curious about some other key stats? Look no further! (Author’s note: Once NBA.com updates its advanced stats, I’ll have this article updated with some of those numbers for tomorrow’s early read).

  • Soler: 26-of-43 FG, 7 offensive boards, 18 assists on 26 shots, 8 personal fouls, 3 blocked shots.
  • Tyus Jones, who I’ve said is the most consistent Sun: 10 PTS (4-of-7 FG, 2-of-3 3-point FG), 2 AST, 2 TO
  • Ryan Dunn, who I will be doing a story on this weekend, played just 4:55 and finished with 3 first half fouls. Not good, Dunn.
  • NO JUSUF NURKIC? Yes, our Bosnian beast did not play AT ALL. Oso Ighodaro was our backup center and played just under 11 minutes.
  • Nor Bol Bol. Sorry, Bolievers.

Mason Plumlee is one of my favorite players as a former big man himself in high school, but he needs to be better. He only had two points. Our managing editor, John Voita, points out at X that the Suns’ centers contribute the lowest PPG in the NBA. Practice.

To the second half, fans!

Second half

The Phoenix Suns third quarter has sent my heart rate into a storm. Yes, while my objectivity remains king in my heart, my childhood association with this franchise makes me squirm with nervousness at times.

Not tonight!

Suns win the third, 30-20. Here are some notable statistics:

  • 14-of-24 FG
  • 4 forced TWOs for 8 points

It was carried over to a fourth quarter, which … didn’t make sense when I put this together.

Why are the Suns doing this!

It looked like everyone was headed for a blowout victory. But in my writing pad of a game recap, I looked up and saw the Hawks went on a 10-0 run and were down just 120-115 with 1:22 left.

Thank you Lord Jesus for Mr. Grayson. 2-point shot, the Suns lead, and Trevor can write his summary peacefully as the Suns go on to win 123-115.

Sun’s media team notes:

– Durant has now scored 20+ points in 12 consecutive games. With his 20 points, he now needs 372 more points to reach 30,000 for his career. He had become the 8th player in NBA history to reach the milestone.

Tonight marks Beal’s 11th 20+ point performance of the season, while his season high in scoring is 28 (done twice).

– Reaching a double-double tonight marks Booker’s sixth double-double of the season, his 60th all-time and his third straight. His three-straight double-doubles tie as his longest streak of double-doubles, having done so during the 2018-19 season. It is the first time in his career that he has dished out 10+ assists in three straight games. Booker’s season high for assists is 12 (done twice). With his 20 points tonight, he now needs 381 points to surpass Walter Davis as the Suns’ all-time leading scorer.

I want to credit the Suns’ 3-point defense. It has been bad. Suns are no. 21 in the NBA in that mark. But three threes in the second half? We go with it and get a good night’s sleep.

Fourth quarter stats that will make you happy:

  • 12 to 4 rebounding! Woah!
  • Hawks: 2-of-7 3-point FG
  • Sole: 9-of-18 FG, 4-of-7 3-point FG
  • Grayson: 10 PTS (3-of-3 FG, 2-of-2 3-point FG)

Seven Suns turnovers led to eight Hawks points, so it shows why the Suns let the game close closer than it should have.

Next

The Suns will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday vs Utah Jazz.

I want to thank you, Suns fans, for enabling me to write for John, Matthew and Co. Dave King, who was honored tonight, is a meaningful man in my career. I wouldn’t be here posting without his belief in a 21-year-old journalism student who just wanted to show his heart that people love his storytelling.

Until next time.