There has been much discussion surrounding the Phoenix Suns’ performance this season, especially following some of their losses. Speculation continued as they found themselves trailing 0-2 in the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A closely contested game quickly turned sour for Phoenix during a 10-minute stretch starting in the mid-third quarter. A 33-13 run by Minnesota saw the Suns’ three-point lead evaporate, leaving them trailing by 17.
Suns forward Kevin Durant addressed some of the recurring questions surrounding the team’s performances after Thursday’s practice. The first question addressed was regarding the team’s communication.
“Yeah, I believe so,” he replied. “We simply didn’t perform well. We failed to execute. You can talk all you want, but if you don’t follow through with what you discussed, it’s pointless. Speeches and motivational talks are nice up to a certain extent, but you have to go out there and execute. And I think we haven’t done that consistently. Sure, we’ve shown flashes of it, but it’s not sufficient to perform in spurts.
“Sometimes, you just have to act instead of overthinking or talking excessively. We have guys who understand this, who know that it’s about getting the job done regardless of what’s said or how you feel. Just get it done. I believe we’ll get there, but we need to do it consistently, and I think that’s been the story of our season.”
Regarding communication, Devin Booker has been vocal about it throughout the season and reiterated it after the Game 2 loss.
Durant was then asked about the team’s unity behind closed doors.
“Absolutely,” he affirmed confidently. “We spend every day together, committed to this journey together. Do we always agree on everything? No, but that’s normal for great teams. We constantly communicate about what might work. We have different perspectives in that locker room, but everyone understands the mission, and we’re all in this together.”
Durant was then questioned about the playoff experience he shares with Booker and Bradley Beal and how it could benefit them being down 0-2.
“Just focus on doing your job,” Durant responded. “I could give a speech about playoff experiences or being down 0-2, but at the end of the day, we have to execute the game plan, play hard, and get this win. It’s possession-at-a-time basketball. Everyone knows what time it is around this time. It’s playoffs. I don’t think we need to do anything extra.”
When asked about the importance of staying unified, Durant reiterated that everyone is on the same page. He added that after certain losses, it may seem like the team isn’t playing together, but if one looks deeper into their daily grind and camaraderie, they wouldn’t question their unity.