Suns React to 'Demoralizing' Loss to Celtics

The Celtics were pouring it in from 3 against the Suns.

Mar 26, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) talk during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- After one of their best stretches of the season, the Phoenix Suns looked to be no match for the defending-champion Boston Celtics at PHX Arena Wednesday night.

Boston cruised to a 132-102 victory even without Jayson Tatum, and their well-known strategy of letting the 3-ball fly proved too much for the Suns to overcome.

All of the Celtics' first eight made baskets came from 3 on 13 attempts, and they ended the game shooting 22-for-52 (42.3%) from deep.

“You see that thing hit the rim, hit the net, like that from that deep, yeah, man," Suns superstar Kevin Durant said of Boston's barrage of 3s. "You know this is coming, you know what type of team they are, you know what type of league you are in, but it's still demoralizing when teams have deep threes. I'm saying it's not something you can always get used to.

"And then sometimes they miss, they spread out so much as the ball bouncing high off the rim because it's a deep shot, and then an offensive rebound, kick out, three. So, that could make it seem like we're not engaged as a team, (like) we are not playing hard.

"That's just, how about the ball bounces sometimes. They pretty much know what their identity is out there and how they want to approach it. It's nice when they don't shoot well from the three. Then we got nights like tonight.”

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said Boston's early 3-pointers could have been a result of Phoenix double-teaming and playing aggressive on the ball, something that had been working and turned into a four-game win streak entering the Boston loss.

"We've been aggressive," Budenholzer said. "We've been trying to not let teams play one-on-one, trying to be the aggressor, create turnovers, and create activity. Tonight, they executed better than our defense.

"It's been good for us. But tonight, their execution, their spacing, their shooting, was better than our activity."

All in all, the Suns, who remain in the final play-in spot with a 35-38 record, did win two of three games in a difficult stretch against the Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks, all top Eastern Conference teams.

Now, they will move back to playing the Western Conference tomorrow night at the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have beaten them in all three previous matchups this season after sweeping them in the first round of the playoffs last April.

Durant, who had a team-high 30 points against the Celtics, discussed how the Suns can get back on track following the loss to Boston:

"Get ready for the next one. We’ve got a big conference game against Minnesota, a team that we’ve been struggling against and want to look to get a win against, so, move on."