At this point in the NBA season, every game is extremely important for the Phoenix Suns. There are no sure things when it comes to picking up victories, which they learned the hard way on Monday night.
The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, entering their matchup against Phoenix on Monday with a 15-56 record. The Suns even caught a break with rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama being out of the lineup because of an injury.
That didn’t end up mattering as the Spurs came away with a shocking 104-102 victory. The script was flipped from their meeting over the weekend when Phoenix picked up a 25-point win. They didn’t come into Monday night’s game with the right mindset or energy level and it cost them dearly.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Frank Vogel, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns Updates
The Suns record on the season is now 42-30, putting them a half-game behind the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks, who are tied for sixth place in the Western Conference. Phoenix has now lost three out of four games against the Spurs this season, who are in last place in the Western Conference.
When speaking after the game, head coach Frank Vogel did not mince his words. He tore into his team, saying they lacked the necessary focus to get the job done despite preparation and their mindset entering the game being in the right place.
“It’s just unacceptable to lose that game,” Vogel said. “For our guys, we all said the right things. We all did the right preparation. But we didn’t play with the necessary focus in this position throughout, I would say, the first half.”
Games against teams such as the Spurs are ones the Suns could not afford to lose. They are going to face a gauntlet in the final 10 games of the season, as their opponents have a winning percentage of .648 during the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Frank Vogel, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns Updates
According to ESPN Stats and Information, that is one of the toughest final 10-game stretches a team has ever faced. It is the toughest since the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2015-16 season when they had to play four games, two apiece, against the 67-15 Spurs and 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
Vogel said that he likes his team’s chances against anyone and that they aren’t worried about the schedule. While that may be true, he could be without two rotation players for the foreseeable future.
Bradley Beal suffered an injured finger on Monday against the Spurs which forced his night to end early. X-rays came back negative, which is encouraging. But, the team also lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a sprained ankle.
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