Suns Weekly Recap: Missed Chances, Mixed Signals, and a Crucial Week Ahead
Week 16 for the Phoenix Suns? Let’s just call it what it was: a week that could’ve been so much more.
In a Western Conference that’s as unforgiving as it is unpredictable, you don’t get to tread water. You either climb or you get passed.
And right now, the Suns are watching the pack pull slightly ahead.
They entered the week sitting in the seventh spot and finished it right where they started. But the standings don’t tell the whole story.
The Lakers and Rockets are now two games clear at 32-19, and that cushion didn’t need to exist. The Suns had chances.
They just didn’t seize them.
Coming off a six-game road trip that saw them split results and lose both Devin Booker and Jalen Green to injury, this was supposed to be the soft part of the schedule. Nine of ten at home.
A golden stretch to make up ground. Instead, through seven of those games, Phoenix is just 3-4.
Even the lone road game-Tuesday night in Portland-was a rollercoaster, with the Suns falling behind by 19 before flipping the switch and clawing back for a win. They showed grit, no doubt.
But it’s starting to feel like they’re making things harder than they need to be.
That’s life in the NBA. Some nights you steal wins you didn’t earn.
Other nights, you let go of games you had in hand. Eventually, it balances out.
But this week’s stumbles were loud. A 14-point fourth-quarter lead against Golden State?
Gone. That one stings.
The good news? Booker is back.
Green is back. And that alone can change everything.
So yes, the season breathes on. The rhythm remains-up, down, and everything in between. The mission now is simple: learn from what just happened and move forward.
Week 16 Record: 1-2
@ Portland Trail Blazers - W, 130-125
This one had “trap game” written all over it, and early on, it played the part. The Suns came out flat, gave up a flurry of threes to the league’s worst three-point shooting team (yes, really), and quickly found themselves in a 19-point hole.
But credit where it’s due-they didn’t fold. Phoenix regrouped, cut the deficit before halftime, and then owned the third quarter, outscoring Portland 34-22.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty. An ugly start gave way to a resilient finish.
That’s the kind of win you file under “character.”
vs. Golden State Warriors - L, 101-97
This one’s going to linger.
Phoenix had control. A double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Momentum. Home court.
And then it slipped away. Golden State chipped away possession by possession, and the Suns couldn’t stop the bleeding.
The possession stats tell a subtle story: the Suns were basically even in overall possessions (+0.8), but they lost the turnover battle (-3) and gave up too many second chances (-4 in offensive rebounds). Those little cracks added up. In a game that tight, they always do.
vs. Philadelphia 76ers - L, 109-103
Saturday night brought the return of the cavalry. Booker and Green were back in the lineup, and the energy in the building reflected it.
But the shooting? That never showed up.
Phoenix started 1-of-13 from deep and finished 11-of-46. The offense was moving, the looks were clean, but the shots just didn’t fall. And when that happens, especially against a team like Philly, you’re playing uphill all night.
Inside the Possession Game
Let’s take a closer look under the hood.
At first glance, the Suns didn’t get steamrolled in the possession game. They were middle of the pack in three-point shooting for the week (36.2%, good for 14th in the league), and they were active defensively-ranking sixth in steals with 10.3 per game. That tracks with the energy we’ve seen from this group when they’re locked in.
But the issue? Ball movement-or lack thereof.
Phoenix averaged just 23.3 assists per game this week, ranking 25th in the league. That’s not going to get it done.
Too many possessions ended in isolation. Too much standing around.
Too much dribbling into traffic. And when the ball did move, the shots didn’t fall.
It’s a tough combo to overcome.
Sometimes, it’s not one glaring stat that sinks you. It’s the way all the numbers quietly lean in the same direction.
That was Week 16. A 2-1 week was there for the taking.
Instead, it turned into something messier.
Week 17 Preview: Two Games, One Big Opportunity
Only two games on the schedule this week-both at home-but the NBA’s calendar makers didn’t do Phoenix any favors. Instead of spacing them out, the league stacked them back-to-back.
First Dallas. Then Oklahoma City.
Not ideal, but here we are.
Let’s start with Dallas. They’ve been one of the league’s most chaotic stories this season.
Cooper Flagg has changed the temperature of the franchise, and the roster around him has been stripped down to the essentials. Anthony Davis is gone.
Max Christie is the lone holdover. The talent is there, but the wins haven’t followed-yet.
That makes them dangerous.
Then comes Oklahoma City. The Thunder are navigating life without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and wobbling a bit as a result. Phoenix has already split two games with them this season, and with one more meeting down the line, this is a chance to take control of the season series.
Back-to-back or not, the door is open. The question is: will the Suns walk through it this time?
Bottom Line
Week 16 was a reminder of how thin the margin is in the West. One quarter here, one cold shooting night there, and suddenly you're looking up in the standings.
But the opportunity to course-correct is still in front of this team. With Booker and Green healthy, and two winnable games at home, Week 17 could be the springboard Phoenix needs.
Now it’s just a matter of execution.