Entering Monday, the San Antonio Spurs had a 1-7 record in games where likely Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama did not step on the court.
Yet, this record did not matter as the Spurs improved to 3-1 against the Suns this season with a 104-102 win. It should be mentioned that the Suns began the game fully healthy.
Following the loss, Suns’ Bradley Beal, who exited late in the 4th quarter with a sprained finger, conceded that Phoenix had underestimated the Spurs, acknowledging that they had believed the game “was going to be easy.”
The Suns even received significant contributions from their two best players, with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combining for 65 points, constituting 63% of Phoenix’s total points. In contrast, Beal managed a mere nine points on 4-11 shooting.
Now, instead of securing what should have been an easy win, the Suns find themselves entering the final stretch of the season as the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Moreover, every team the Suns (42-30) will face until the end of the regular season boasts a better or equal record.
While the Suns currently hold a five-game lead over the Warriors for the final play-in spot, the surge of the Mavericks, winning eight of their last ten games, suggests that escaping the play-in tournament will require nothing short of a miracle.
More must-reads: