Suns React to Embarrassing Loss to Rockets

Phoenix suffered its worst margin of defeat this season Sunday night against Houston.

Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives on Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- Nothing can go right for the Phoenix Suns even with them finding themselves in must-win situations night and night out.

Phoenix dropped to 35-40 on the season and 1.5 games back of the final Western Conference play-in spot after a humiliating 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets Sunday. This was the Suns' largest loss of the season.

In addition to the loss, Kevin Durant went down in the third quarter and did not return with a sprained left ankle.

"Tonight was a bad night. There's no other way to paint it," Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said postgame. "But I don't think it's what it's been, to say categorically, every night. But tonight, we were not good. Urgency, anything you want to put on it, we were not good."

Suns just suffered their largest loss of the season, a 39-point beatdown to Houston.

This is the 11th time in Suns history they've lost by at least 39 points. First time since February 2018

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) March 31, 2025

Phoenix has now lost three-straight games by a combined 84 points. The Suns' last two home losses have been by 30 points or more, as they fell 132-102 to the Boston Celtics last Wednesday.

"It's really frustrating, and I wouldn't even say it's the losses. It's just not even being close in these games sucks," Suns guard Grayson Allen said postgame.

The Rockets have been on an opposite trajectory than the Suns this season, going from out of the playoffs last year to now having the second-best record in the West at 49-26 this season.

Against the Suns Sunday, Houston shot 57.1% from the field (56-for-98), 58.1% from 3 (18-for-31) and forced 19 turnovers to improve to 3-0 against Phoenix this season.

"You can point at everything tonight," Suns star guard Devin Booker said postgame. "Tough night from start to finish versus a really good team that has been trending in the right direction. They've been doing that for the past couple years, and they have played like it."

The Suns have had a gauntlet of a schedule as of late and still have the NBA's toughest remaining schedule for their final seven games. They begin a three-game road trip Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks (40-34) and then will take on the Boston Celtics (55-19) Friday and New York Knicks (47-27) Sunday.

Booker, who had a team-high 28 points against the Rockets, spoke on how Phoenix can turn things around.

"Win the next game. A night this bad, I feel we have to flush it, go get Milwaukee, and start the road trip off the right way," Booker said.