👋 GOOD MORNING
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 — Happy Tuesday! We’ll take a look at the Suns’ upcoming road trip in the main story, but first I just want to take a moment to tip my cap to the entire Arizona Cardinals organization. The Rams thoroughly dominated the Vikings in last night’s Wild Card game at State Farm Stadium, and while our hearts are with our neighbors to our west, I want to call out something I saw on last night’s broadcast.
Not only did the Cardinals send team planes to help fly 400 people (and eight pets) to Phoenix, they also went to great lengths to make the Rams feel at home. The Cardinals ordered 200 gallons of paint for the field, concessions for over 60,000 people, and sold 52,000 tickets in just the first two hours after it was announced the game was moved.
That’s truly impressive — and congrats to the people of L.A., who deserved to see their team win and enjoy a little taste of victory following a week that’s been a literal living hell.
On to the show!
Upcoming Road Trip Will Highlight Suns’ Trajectory
It’s a long road (trip) ahead.
The Suns are embarking on their longest excursion of the season, starting with tonight’s matchup in Atlanta before moving on to Washington (Thursday), Detroit (Saturday), Cleveland (Jan. 20) and Brooklyn (Jan. 22).
That’s quite a trip.
The 19-19 Suns have just started to rediscover their footing after a disastrous stretch in which they won just seven of 24 games. They’ve now won three straight for the first time since early November, and the upcoming trip is going to go a long way to determining what the rest of the season looks like.
Suns’ Defense The Key to Their Offense
Phoenix’s defense has been key late in games during its three-game streak, which was especially evident with time winding down in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets. That victory got the team back to .500 for the first time since a 15-15 mark on Dec. 27, and star Kevin Durant said that effort needs to be consistent to return to The Valley with a successful road trip in hand.
“We’re hanging our hats on the defensive side of the ball,” Durant said. “We’re making adjustments pretty quick. That’s what we’re going to need to do if we’re going to be a great team.”
Coach Mike Budenholzer echoed that sentiment.
“It’s always the challenge in this league, is to keep executing on both ends,” he said. “To keep digging in defensively, finding ways to get stops and finding ways to win games.”
Tune Out the Noise, Build a Stronger Bond
There’s a little added motivation for a few of these games, as well, considering Phoenix has already lost to both Detroit (133-125 on Dec. 21) and Brooklyn (127-117 on Nov. 27). The extended road trip also allows the team to tune out some of the noise, and there has been plenty of it lately.
Bradley Beal on the trading block? How about Jusuf Nurkić, who has been benched lately? Don’t forget about the injury bug, which has been biting hard throughout the season.
Away from Footprint, the Suns can tune out that noise and focus on the 19-19 Hawks, who they just beat last Thursday. There’s also an opportunity to improve their road record, which currently stands at 6-11.
“That’s usually when the team gets an opportunity to bond and break bread together. It’s always fun on the road, I love it,” Durant said. “We have some good tests on the road, and we’re playing some good, young teams that we’re trying to get some revenge on.”
Another encouraging sign has come from young players like center Oso Ighodaro, who was a key figure in the Suns’ rally on Sunday night. The 22-year-old rookie said Phoenix hopes to maintain its continuity and recently rekindled sense of urgency while on the road.
“It’s a big road trip for us,” he said. “We’ve been playing with passion, desperation, and we just have to keep maintaining that on the road.”
It’s Not Make-or-Break, But it Feels Close
Outside of the 33-5 Cavaliers, each of the games come against teams just slightly above, or below, the .500 mark on the season. Given that, it’s hard to imagine a world where there isn’t any action in the trade market if the Suns are unable to return home with a winning record.
Durant, though, said the team remains focused on the task at hand.
“Outside looking in it’s tough because we’re losing, but for the most part, everyone is coming in trying to figure stuff out,” he said. “It’s always important for you to believe, and it’s early in the season. We’re 19-19. It’s a long, long year. Even good teams go through ebbs and flows and vibes throughout the season.
“It’s a long year.”
A return trip with anything less than a .500 record, and it will likely feel a whole lot longer.
🧢 TIP OF THE HAT BY BRANDED BILLS
Sam Reinhart has five shorthanded goals this season, and none were as pretty as the one he scored last night. Cheers, Sam!
