Suns blown out in elimination game for third straight year

(AP Photo/Matt York)

They say history repeats itself. 

For the Phoenix Suns it has three years in a row. 

In 2021, the fellas lost game six of the NBA Finals 105-98 against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

In 2022, it was a second round game seven blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks, 123-90 at the Footprint Center. 

In 2023, the season concluded with a 125-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets at home in game six of the second round. 

81 points were given up in the first half, including a 17-0 run to end the first quarter where Monty Williams never called a timeout.

Kevin Durant finished with 23 points on 8-19 shooting. Devin Booker finished with 12 points on 4-13 shooting.

The Suns were simply outplayed, out hustled, and out coached.

“That falls on my shoulders,” Williams said. “To play like that in the biggest game of the year, that’s not who we are.”

Of course nothing drastic was said during the postgame interviews. 

Once the dust settles, expect the ultra competitive Mat Ishbia to shake things up. Anything besides moving Devin Booker or Durant is on the table. That includes coaching and front office staff changes.