All these Suns losses can start to feel the same.
But while Monday night’s 109-99 loss to the Orlando Magic had elements of other recent Ls, this wasn’t destined.
The Magic came into Footprint Center with a distinct rest advantage, but also without their best player in Paolo Banchero. And while Orlando boasts a huge roster and elite defensive chops, allowing them to crowd Devin Booker and cut off the paint, they are no OKC Thunder on the other side.
Let’s start with those differences. The Magic don’t have a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who can put the offense on his back while the rest of the team clamps down on defense. That means the Suns had a real chance to gut out a low-scoring, inefficient slugfest. Plus, getting stops is the easiest way for the Suns to ignite the fast break and get their transition game going.
Instead, the Suns allowed 109 points to Orlando on 51 percent shooting and just 10 turnovers. Franz Wagner and Anthony Black combined for 52 points alone.
At the same time, the similarities stung the Suns. Teams know by now that they can overload defensive attention toward Booker when he is the only elite scoring threat on the court. The Magic were no exception. While Booker made the right decisions to beat that defense and keep the ball moving, Orlando got its way. Booker took very few shots — fewer than point guard Tyus Jones.
On today’s episode, we break down these explanations and whether there was anything the Suns could have done to overturn this result.
