Even With Win, Suns Failed to Make Statement

The Suns won the game, but still have much to prove.

Jan 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots a three point shot against Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns succeeded in reaching win number 20 on the season on Thursday night against the Washington Wizards, taking the game by a score of 130-123.

The Suns enjoyed a well-oiled offensive performance (104 points after 3 quarters) behind a balanced scoring effort - with Devin Booker scoring 37, Ryan Dunn enjoying a career-high of 18, Kevin Durant putting up a quiet 23, and Grayson Allen having yet another high-end performance of 21 points.

Despite this and the Suns leading by as much as 24 - they failed yet again to put up a complete 48 minute showing against a team that this should have been accomplished against.

A nuanced fan will realize that a win is a win. A nuanced fan will also recognize that style points are necessary in certain games - and the Suns' inability to put Washington away is concerning.

Kyshawn George enjoyed the best performance of his young career - dropping 24 points and hitting 6 three-point looks. Alex Sarr made strong impact on the defensive side of the ball and Corey Kispert had a quality 4th quarter as a scorer.

The lapses on defense and untimely turnovers are just a microcosm of what has gone wrong for the Suns in 2024-25 - and it certainly cannot go unnoticed.

Phoenix has put together only a small handful of "complete" games all year - games against the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers in the coming days will undeniably be tests that the Wizards did not bring to the table.

The Suns must be more consistently focused defensively, enjoy contributions from a number of players on the offensive side of the ball, and play four complete quarters to steal victories in the midst of two massive contests in the coming days.

Yes, the Suns did defeat Washington. That doesn't mean the win was overtly impressive - and they still have a ways to go to re-establish themselves as a playoff caliber squad.

Phoenix will hopefully begin to benefit from the addition of Nick Richards this weekend as they move forward towards looking to advance up in the Western Conference standings.