Kevin Durant, NBA MVP candidate, Suns win sixth straight, top Heat

by Junna Base November 9, 2024

The Phoenix Suns must like these shakeups.

Maybe they’re working on becoming the best team in the NBA in the fourth quarter after being the worst last season. They currently sit 13th in the league in fourth-quarter plus/minus at plus-one.

They stress out their fans but ultimately give them what they want – victories, most recently a 115-112 win Wednesday over the Miami Heat before an enthusiastic but emotionally exhausted sellout crowd of 17,071 at the Footprint Center. The Suns extended their winning streak to six games.

Kevin Durant continued to deliver like an NBA MVP candidate in ’18, scoring a game-high 32 points on the final two points – a 21-footer against Haywood Highsmith – to give Phoenix a lead of 16.8 seconds scored four points.

Durant has already had five 30-point games this season.

Devin Booker scored 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting after shooting a total of 12 of 41 in his previous two games. He made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left, giving the Heat a chance to force overtime.

The Suns tried to foul but couldn’t, although Booker tried to foul Terry Rozier, but the Heat failed to get a shot off. Jimmy Butler attempted a 3-pointer but instead passed it to Tyler Herro, who was out of bounds and threw the ball up as time expired.

For the sixth straight winner, Phoenix (7-1) improved to 5-0 at home and 4-0 in games decided by four points or fewer, while the Heat (3-4) improved to 4-0 in their last four games were 1:3.

Suns star Jusuf Nurkic posted a double-double, 20 points and 18 rebounds and hit 3 of 3 from deep. He came into the game 4 of 19 and 3.

Herro led the Heat with 28 points, going 5 of 9 from 3, but missed his final three points from long range. Highsmith contributed 19 points off the bench while Butler added 15.

The Suns will face the Dallas Mavericks for the second time this season on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the American Airlines Center. Phoenix recorded its biggest win in its first home game against the Mavs, 114-102.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s game.

Durant is something to contend with

Durant is having one of the most special starts this season.

Let’s call it winning Olympic gold. At 36 years old, he can still be considered one of the best players in the world.

Call it playing in a system that allows him to find spacious lanes and open catch-and-shoot threes to complement his already complete offensive game.

Whatever it is, one thing is certain. Durant leads the Suns with his play on both ends and his leadership, which is the main reason they look like an early championship contender.

“That Kevin Durant is a dirty word,” Booker said.

Durant just laughed when he learned what Booker said about him after the game, but he also praised Booker and his teammates for maintaining their distance on the floor because the defense needs to stay connected to them.

Durant delivered a game-winning layup with 24 seconds left to complete Phoenix’s 118-116 comeback win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday and scored 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Forty-eight hours later, Durant was back at it again, scoring 11 goals on 4-of-6 shooting in the fourth period.

By placing an even greater emphasis on shooting three-pointers, as evidenced by his season-high 11 (four) on Wednesday, Durant is forcing teams to defend him in even more spaces.

That’s a scary proposition for defenses, but he’s also playing with a point guard, Tyus Jones, who can see him getting open – not when he’s open. Until then.

That allows Durant to run down the field for a transition 3 knowing the ball is coming his way, even if it’s a crosscourt pass from Jones that’s put on point.

Jones finished the night with nine assists on one turnover. Jones assisted on Durant’s final basket. Looking a little closer, 10 of Durant’s 32 points came on four assists from Jones.

Durant is part of an offense that not only creates space for others, but also creates space for himself.

Halloween is already over, but that’s an even scarier thought for teams trying to defend Phoenix.

3-ball for everyone

The Suns entered Wednesday ranked ninth in the NBA with a 3-point shooting percentage of 37.7%, ninth in attempts at 39 per game and seventh in makes at 14.7%.

They bettered those numbers against the Heat – 18 of 43 (41.9%) from 3.

Fast ball movement is one way to make more than 40 3s. With three guys who can play 1-on-1, Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal, the ball gets stuck from time to time.

However, teams that gain more possession through traditional offensive rebounds or running down loose balls can create the wide open 3. The Suns finished the game with 10 offensive rebounds.

Phoenix did that repeatedly on Wednesday. The Suns took a 93-92 lead in the fourth quarter when Royce O’Neale ran down a loose ball in the paint and kicked it to an open Grayson Allen to make it 3-0.

They got an unexpected 3-pointer from Nurkic, who hit one from Ahwatukee after the shot clock expired in the fourth.

The Suns can’t always count on the big guy to beat them, but they came into the game with seven players shooting between 46.5% (O’Neale) and 34.5% (Jones). With that much firepower, they should stay in the top 10 and surpass those numbers like they did on Wednesday night.

Fizdale keeps Bol busy

Suns assistant David Fizdale and forward Bol Bol arrived in Phoenix together. They’ve developed a pretty good bond. Fizdale took the time to work with Bol and should get some credit last season for how Bol played when given the opportunity.

Frank Vogel never put Bol in the consistent rotation, saying the 7-footer with defensive skills would only be used well in certain matchups. New head coach Mike Budenholzer, who like everyone else recognizes Bol’s talent, hasn’t even played against him for a second in eight games this season.

“We have great depth and sometimes when you have great depth, some guys don’t play,” Budenholzer said last week.

The fans definitely want him to play as they chanted his name at a recent home game.

Until Bol goes into action, Fizdale puts him through exercises that not only sharpen his skills, but also work on his conditioning and keep him mentally occupied.

For someone his size, Bol has scary offensive skills, but his defense has kept him on the bench.

Given the way Phoenix is currently going, it may be a while before Bol sees his first minutes this season. Until then, Fizdale is doing his part to ensure Bol is ready when his name is called.

Do you have any opinions on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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