The Phoenix Suns were missing some of their biggest stars on Monday night when they played against the Memphis Grizzlies, and it showed.
They were lacking Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Cameron Johnson, and Cameron Payne as they went head to head against Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr, and the rest of the powerful Memphis crew.
In the end, it wasn’t even close.
The Phoenix Suns are now 21-24, the No. 12 seed in the West.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 17, 2023
The game ended with a painful 136-106 score for the Suns, which was their third loss in a row.
Now the team is 21-24 and officially the 12th seed in the Western Conference.
Sinking Suns
This is clearly not what the team expected when the new year began, as they thought they had a legitimate chance at going all the way to the Western Conference Finals and possibly the NBA Finals.
For the last couple of years, the Suns have been the team to beat during the regular season.
However, the last two seasons have ended poorly for the team: they made the Finals but got defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks, then they were taken down in a shocking fashion by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals last season.
Still, most people thought they’d be at the top of the standings again this season.
But that obviously isn’t the case.
While the competition is tougher than ever, a bunch of injuries has kept the Suns stuck in a rut for weeks now.
They are desperately missing Paul, Johnson, and Payne – but the absence of Booker is probably hurting the most.
Now, the team that was favored to go far in the playoffs again is behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers.
They next play the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, and Memphis Grizzlies again, which means the week ahead will be just as tough.
NEXT: Sidelined Star Speaks Out About The Suns