Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel delivered a strong message to his team prior to its rebound of a win over the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 61 points and nine of the final 13 points in the comfortable but forgettable 124-108 victory. Via AZCentral:
“Build belief,” Vogel said. “We've set a standard of what I expect from our group…having a message of, ‘we're better than this.'”
Phoenix defeated the shorthanded Clippers without superstars Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and key pieces Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Norm Powell, 124-108. But many felt the game was much closer than it should have been.
The night before
The Suns have been one of the best teams in the NBA at full strength. However, they have also been privy to disastrous and gut-wrenching defeats.
Phoenix in the last month has beaten the top two seeds in the West, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, and third-best team in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Suns have also suffered their last four losses to teams without their respective star(s).
“We've set a standard of what I expect from our group,” Vogel said.
How did the Suns respond against the Clippers?
Phoenix won by 16, but the Clippers' role players and deep bench put together a performance that pushed the Suns until the final minutes.
The Suns ended the game on a 20-2 run and outscored the Clippers in the fourth, 34-15. Kevin Durant had seven fourth-quarter points and sparked a defensive effort that contributed to the win.
What did Vogel say about the win?
“We had a terrible night last night,” Vogel said, via AZCentral. “Probably our worst night of the season in terms of how we started that game and the deficit we created for ourselves.”
The Suns in their 105-92 loss to the Clippers at home was their worst of the season. They trailed 35-4 and made just two of their first 19 shots.
Phoenix managed to win the second half by 20 and put itself in position to complete a 37-point comeback, trailing 91-84 with 6:44 left. But the demoralizing loss had Vogel, who is normally even-keeled with the media, short.
He was in better spirits after the win.
“We're focused on the process,” Vogel said, via AZCentral. “The results will take care of themselves.
“Just didn't feel good to perform that way (Tuesday) with the hopes and expectations we have for our group and the standard that we want to set for our group and what we're trying to achieve this year.”
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