The Phoenix Suns lost both games that they played in over the weekend, ending a 7-game winning streak and pausing their surge up the standings in the Western Conference. But the losses haven’t been due to a lack of production from guard Devin Booker, who has had one of the best three-game scoring stretches that we have seen in the NBA in recent years.
NBA: Suns Have Dropped Last Two After Hot Start To January
Devin Booker tonight:
44 points
17/26 FGTough loss. pic.twitter.com/X12nSBi15e
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 29, 2024
Many of the early season struggles for Phoenix stemmed from availability. Pieces of the league’s newest “big 3” were missing at different points in October and November, with Bradley Beal playing in just 6 of the team’s first 30 games, and they struggled to gel when they were able to play together.
But Beal got healthy and the team learned to play alongside one another, and the Suns have been one of the better teams in the NBA since Christmas. They had won 12 of their previous 15 contests before dropping their last two, rising from 11th in the West all the way into the 6th slot entering last weekend.
Devin Booker Has Been On A Scoring Tear
In the last 50 years, here are the players that have scored 150+ points over a 3 game span:
• Devin Booker
• Damian Lillard
• James Harden
• Kobe Bryant
• Michael Jordan pic.twitter.com/IkEPfVB7LN— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) January 29, 2024
Booker has been nothing short of sensational in the scoring department over the past three games. In a win over the Mavericks on Wednesday, he went 17 for 23 from the field and scored 47 points in a win for the Suns, but he was just getting warmed up.
On Friday in Indiana, Booker scored a season-high 62, but his efforts were spoiled by Phoenix giving away a late lead. Two nights later in Orlando, he scored 44 of his teams 98 total points, as the Suns were held to under 100 for the 3rd time all season.
Devin Booker’s combined point total over his last three games is 153.
The mini-skid from the Suns is perhaps anticipated. They are currently navigating the longest road trip on their schedule, one that keeps them away from home for nearly a full two weeks. They still have four games left on the trek, and will travel up and down the East coast as they attempt to right the ship.
Their next game is Monday night against the Miami Heat, and they are listed as 3.5 point underdogs for the contest.
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