On Friday afternoon, head coach Frank Vogel and the Phoenix Suns improved their record on the 2023-24 NBA season to an impressive 10-6 with a dominant road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite playing without superstar forward Kevin Durant, the Suns offense had no issues getting going against the Grizzlies, thanks in no small part to a 40-point scoring output from guard Devin Booker.
The Suns controlled this game for essentially the entire second half, leading some to wonder why Frank Vogel left in the starters all the way until the finish line.
“That's the new world we're living in,” said Vogel, per Duane Rankin of AZCentral. “Feels very weird but hopefully all our fans understand that to get in the tournament, you not only have to have the [in our case] second-best record since the Lakers clinched our group, but you've got to win by as many points as you can, so it's always a feel it out type of situation.”
Indeed, in the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament, of which Friday's Suns versus Grizzlies game was a part, point differential does play a role in how things are sorted out. Devin Booker drew a smattering of boos with a late field goal attempt on a play that would normally feature a player dribbling out the shot clock, but as Vogel noted, point differential is a key in these situations.
Up next for the Suns is a road game against the New York Knicks on November 26, and they will hope that Kevin Durant will be back in time for the matchup.