👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend – there was no shortage of news, that’s for sure. Who else was surprised by that Luka Dončić trade on Saturday night?! I spent close to 15 minutes convinced that Shams’ account had been hacked, but alas, the blockbuster that no one saw coming has completely reshaped the NBA landscape. That begs the question, with the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaching, will the Suns make something happen?

One more note – you’ll notice some changes to the format of the PHNX Daily today, and it’s all part of our evolution. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of the feedback from all of our loyal readers, and we’ll continue to tweak things to make sure you’re getting the most — and the very best — every single morning. I’m an open book if you ever have thoughts, ideas, or feedback: Don’t hesitate to reach out!

On to the show!

Sunny Side Down: Was Hurley or Lloyd in the Wrong?

Arizona State and Arizona traded barbs in Saturday’s matchup in Tempe (an 81-72 Wildcats win), but the real fireworks came immediately following the game. ASU coach Bobby Hurley pulled his team off the court just as time expired while refusing to shake Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd’s hand, foregoing the traditional postgame pleasantries while stating in his postgame presser that UA had “no class” in the win.

Lead-up to the tiff: Saturday’s game had the typical rivalry-game flavor, reaching a fever pitch late in the second half when things went completely off the rails. But why? What the heck led up to this?

• Both teams were assessed multiple technical fouls in the game, with offenses by ASU’s Hurley and B.J. Freeman, as well as UA’s Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley.
• Hurley said afterwards he pulled the Sun Devils off the court to prevent further confrontation, blaming the Wildcats’ “constant chatter” while in front of ASU’s bench.
• Lloyd appeared genuinely surprised by the postgame snub, adding “I’ve got a lot of respect for Bobby and Arizona State’s players.”

My Take: Look, I get that the stakes are higher than my 7-year-old’s flag football league, but I teach the kids to shake hands and show good sportsmanship no matter how bitter the loss. I do believe Hurley was wrong: His fire is appreciated and effective when channeled properly, but he also needs to lead by example. Even if you’re ushering your student athletes off with their own safety in mind, there’s no reason to waive off Lloyd at the end. To be honest, it seems slightly ironic to label the opposition as classless right after having such an emotional reaction.

What’s your take? Sound off in our poll at the bottom of this email!

I’m sure Saturday’s ending will fuel both teams as they approach their second meeting, this time in Tucson on March 4. Sports loves a good redemption story, and Hurley will have a golden opportunity considering the trash talk will be coming from every possible direction at McKale Center.

Talk about must see TV!

Go More In-Depth: Our PHNX Sun Devils crew ​understood Hurley’s snub​, while, perhaps unsurprisingly, our PHNX Wildcats ​crew did not​.

Booker’s All-Star Exclusion is Questionable

Booker’s All-Star Exclusion is Questionable

How in the world is Devin Booker not going to his fifth All-Star Game? Yes, the Suns have been up-and-down this season, but the 28-year-old is still putting up stellar numbers.

• All-Star rosters are limited to 12 players.
• Book ranks 8th in the NBA at 25.9 points per game.
• He has scored 30+ points in 16 of 43 games this season.
• Kevin Durant, who ranks 5th in points per game, is an ASG starter.

From Erik and Espo: This ​may not be as much of a snub​ as you think.

Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Roadrunners’ slide continues while Sun Devils sweep RedHawks: The Tucson Roadrunners have not won a game since Jan. 11, dropping eight straight after back-to-back defeats to the Reign this weekend. The Sun Devils, meanwhile, kept pace in the NCHC with a weekend sweep at Miami (OH), setting up a showdown this weekend against No. 5 Denver at The Mullett.

ASU women fall to BYU: The Sun Devils dropped their eighth straight with a home loss to BYU on Saturday, and are now 2-9 in the Big 12 after starting 2-1. They’ll face Arizona (14-9, 5-5 Big 12) in Tucson this upcoming Saturday.

Suns split weekend set: Phoenix blew out Golden State 130-105 on Friday before falling 127-108 in Portland on Saturday. Non-All-Star Devin Booker was the team’s leading scorer in both games, notching 31 and 37 points, respectively.

🧢 Tip of the Hat

Might as well keep the love coming for Devin Booker, who is incredibly close to becoming the Suns’ all-time leading scorer. His 15,644 points trail Hall of Famer Walter Davis by just 23 points, and oh, by the way, Book is just 28 years old. Davis spent 11 seasons in Phoenix from 1977-78 to 1987-88, while Booker is in his 10th year in The Valley.