The Phoenix Suns endured a miserable end to a tough Western Conference road trip - in which they went 1-3 - on Sunday evening, as a buzzer-beater from Julius Randle helped the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 120-117 win.
The manner in which Randle scored that winning 3-pointer - by appearing to push off Josh Okogie before getting the shot up - causing the Suns' fanbase to go into meltdown on social media. This was also a waste of the kind of Devin Booker game The Valley had been crying out for, as he finished with 44 points and played superbly.
But it wasn't Randle's game winner that cost the Suns the win.
Before delving into how exactly they lost this game, we must first mention that there were some questionable calls against the Suns by the referees throughout the course of this one. One offensive call against Grayson Allen in particular that stuck in the throat of fans, especially given what Randle would later appear to get away with.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer was gracious in defeat and calm when facing the media after the game, but even he pleaded for consistency from the referees in each game. Had the whistle been the same for both teams, the Suns would have far less complaints about somehow losing this one.
"Good coverage, good switches. Credit to Randle. He made a tough shot. That's a push off earlier in the game. Not called a push off late. That can be frustrating. Consistency from the start of the game to end of game."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 17, 2024
Mike Budenholzer on Julius Randle 3 over Josh Okogie. #Suns https://t.co/uTmQMxRZIY pic.twitter.com/91zAQq07Rn
But that's not ultimately why the group is hurrying back to Phoenix to re-group. Rather it was the inability of the Suns to put the Timberwolves to the sword when they had the chance - and there were multiple throughout this one - that meant they didn't leave Target Center with a win.
The starting lineup featuring centers Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee - plus Ryan Dunn - did an excellent job of fighting the Timberwolves' size in the first-half. With Booker on one and Anthony Edwards limited to just five attempts, this was without doubt a game that was there for the taking.
Donte DiVincenzo did make five of his 10 3-pointers to reignite the home crowd, but Booker made six while Allen chipped in with four of his own - including a pair across the third and fourth quarters - that once again took the energy out of the area. But when the Timberwolves began to flip the script, the short-handed Suns had no answer.
We’ll be the first to say it - some questionable calls against the Suns down the stretch that the team can feel upset about for sure - but Randle does not foul Okogie on this play https://t.co/VLEnAtJLjX
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) November 17, 2024
They began to blitz Booker more to get the ball out of his hands in the second half - a tactic the Sacramento Kings used to real success in a win over them recently - while Nurkic was in foul trouble early and never really found a rhythm. Edwards also started finding looks, eventually finishing with 24 points.
The Suns also had no answer for Randle, who had without question his best performance in a Timberwolves jersey as he finished with 35 points. Dunn did his best - and although he is likely going to end up as an elite defensive wing in this league - Randle taught him a lesson. His bigger frame and veteran savvy - plus some excellent shot making - proving too much for Dunn and his teammates.
This all culminated in the Suns being unable to score off three straight offensive rebounds - which would have won them the game - before Randle went down the other end and did what he did. It is hard when you don't have Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal - but when a game is there for the taking and you fail to capitalize - you can't then blame a buzzer-beater for handing you a loss.