Takeaways From Suns Loss to Raptors
The Phoenix Suns and their seven-game win streak were quelled on Wednesday night by the gutsy Toronto Raptors, with Drake in attendance.
The Suns did take care of the ball while also moving the ball effectively, giving away only 9 turnovers to 25 assists.
That was virtually the only thing that went right for the Suns.
Between a virtually team-wide cold shooting performance, to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both struggling, to getting beat on the offensive glass battle, Phoenix just simply had a rough night.
Suns fans shouldn't panic because the team certainly isn't- these kind of nights happen in the league.
One game won't define the Suns' season, but there are some things that can be taken away from the loss-
The Suns Are More Than Their Stars
The Suns arguably just got the worst performances of the season from both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant - the duo combined to shoot 13-42 from the floor.
The fact that Phoenix was even in a position to potentially win this game with the poor performances from its stars, plus the absences of Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and obviously Bradley Beal is a testament of the group of glue guys in the locker room.
Three of those players in particular stood out above everyone else on Wednesday night: Josh Okogie, Jordan Goodwin, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Okogie and Goodwin provided their typical disruptive defense- even if it didn't show on the stat sheet.
Both also came through on offense.
Okogie was a tough attacker through the course of the night, grabbing four offensive boards, hitting all six of his free throw attempts, and dishing out two assists.
Goodwin continues his impressive stretch of strong performances on offense, scoring nine points, grabbing three offensive rebounds, and dishing out four assists in yet another game that proves he should be a mainstay in the rotation as the season moves on.
Nurkic was so impressive against Toronto that he gets his own praise later on.
Off Nights are Bound to Happen
The Suns undeniably had a poor shooting night, as they shot just over 40% from the field as a team and just under 27% from three-point range.
This should be seen as much more of the exception than the rule.
The NBA is an 82-game gauntlet, and it's a given that not every game is going to swing the way that it might be desired.
Star players will have bad games, long road trips will be too grueling sometimes. There's just so many variables that go into an NBA season on a day-to-day basis, and Phoenix shouldn't be shaken by a close loss to a solid Raptors squad.
Nurkic Continues To Impress
Jusuf Nurkic had yet another stout performance, possibly his best as a member of the Suns.
His stat-line:
19 points
8-12 FG
14 rebounds
6 assists
2 blocks
+2
Nurkic truly put together a wonderful all-around performance, and his impact was clear to anyone who watched.
While Jakob Poeltl had a strong scoring performance, he was largely limited on the glass, and much of that was thanks to Nurkic. The Raptors did much of their damage on the offensive glass in non-Nurkic minutes.
Nurkic also had the best finishing performance in a Suns uniform, routinely displaying a soft touch to cap off beautiful post moves and set-ups from teammates.
Nurkic may not be the long-term answer at center for the Suns, but he looks to be getting more comfortable in his role by the game - and he doesn't appear to be anything near a liability for this squad.
The Suns next game will be at home Friday night against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. The game is set to tip off shortly after 8 PM Arizona time.
