Mike Budenholzer Articles - Page 2

A Phoenix Suns season that was already somewhat of a nightmare went from bad to worse on Sunday night during a 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets. During the third quarter, star forward Kevin Durant drove to his left before collapsing to the ground and grabbing his lower left leg. Durant turned his ankle badly, […]

At the beginning of March, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer’s job security was rumored to be in question. Following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, that same question arose. The head coach explained more to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin regarding those rumors. "Yeah. We're in the middle of trying to get into the play-in […]

As the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics clashed on Wednesday, the vibes were up. The Suns had a four-game winning streak entering the contest and head coach Mike Budenholzer was amped. However, the Celtics proved to be too much to handle in Phoenix’s 132-102 loss. The 30-point embarrassment left the fanbase mortified. On the flip […]

The Phoenix Suns are fighting for their lives to end the regular season, as they look to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament, and on Wednesday night, they will be running into one of the toughest matchups in the NBA in the reigning champion Boston Celtics. The Celtics may not be the dominant regular […]

Mike Budenholzer was a man of few words before Monday’s game. The Phoenix Suns head coach is taking on the Milwaukee Bucks in all former territory. When asked about coaching against his former team, he had few words. “It was a great five years.” Mike Budenholzer had few words for @Amanda_Pflugrad when asking him about […]

Time is of the essence, and Oso Ighodaro’s 44 minutes secured the Phoenix Suns’ 123-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. Defeating the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference is something Kevin Durant and Devin Booker knew would be tough. However, roughly 60-90 minutes before the game, the center position looked different than it […]

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, giving up Anthony Davis in the process, there was some level of concern regarding the defensive end of the floor, especially without an addition at center after the Mark Williams trade fell through due to a failed physical. However, the Lakers’ defense has been strong after […]

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said that guard Bradley Beal will miss at least a week due to the left hamstring injury he suffered during Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN. The Suns were able to get a 129-89 win over the Toronto Raptors without Beal on Monday. Beal has […]

After Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was going off, Phoenix Suns All-Star Kevin Durant and his head coach Mike Budenholzer appeared to be at it again. After a heated exchange during a 119-117 win against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this month, Durant and Budenholzer argued during a timeout in the second quarter of […]

As Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishiba set the record straight on Devin Booker’s future with the organization, he also shared his candid thoughts on about the performance of the team this season. While there have been rumors around Suns stars Kevin Durant and Booker, Ishiba clears the air there and mostly about this year. With […]

It’s safe to say that the Phoenix Suns are one of the most disappointing teams in the 2024-25 season. Despite having no shortage of star power with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, the team is facing the risk of missing the postseason as they sit just right outside the Play-In Tournament. Since teaming […]

The Phoenix Suns’ home arena became unglued on Tuesday after Collin Gillespie drained his eighth, ninth, and tenth points of the night with almost 30 seconds left. That 3-pointer sealed the 119-117 win, as Gillespie was in for point guard Tyus Jones. During the game, it seemed likely that Gillespie would receive any playing time. […]

Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green reacted to the clash between Phoenix Suns All-Star Kevin Durant and head coach Mike Budenholzer. After Durant downplayed narratives surrounding his dispute with Budenholzer, Green gave his take on how rare it was to see his former Warriors teammate, Durant, argue with his head coach. Green explains how it […]

Coaching in the NBA is a tough job. In fact, even if the team is performing well, sometimes it isn’t enough to stay on the sidelines. However, not all firings are always the right move by the front office. Here are the 10 most regretful NBA coach firings by a franchise, ranked. Check out the […]

The Phoenix Suns came out with a gritty 119-117 win against the Los Angeles Clippers after a big fourth quarter, and it took everything they had. It even took some disagreements from player and coach, as Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer had an exchange early in the game. Of course, people would start running with […]

Moments after a timeout, Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer appeared to be in a heated moment. When Budenholzer was talking to Durant, the latter slapped his arm away. Mind you, it was when the Suns were trailing in the first quarter. However, it’s an accurate synopsis of the season up to this point. The team […]

The Phoenix Suns have struggled to put together a cohesive unit around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker with head coach Mike Budenholzer. Which caused former NBA player Jeff Teague to chime in with his thoughts about the situation. Teague provided his stance in a segment of the Club 520 Podcast on Monday. He says Budenholzer […]

The Phoenix Suns have been disappointing, and the majority of the blame has been placed on head coach Mike Budenholzer in recent weeks. The constant lineup changes, rotations, and other things haven’t resulted in success. Even though when the Suns hired Budenholzer, he was supposed to be the franchise’s savior. It’s been anything but. Although […]

As the Phoenix Suns are going through a rough patch this season, there have been a number of reports to come out that could shake up the team. First, it was the Suns putting Kevin Durant on the trade block and there being a possibility of them splitting during the offseason, and the most recent […]

Early Friday morning, there was more fuel added to the Phoenix Suns fire. One NBA rumor suggested that Mike Budenholzer had a one-on-one message for Devin Booker. Unfortunately, that message wasn’t received too well by the Suns star. It was reported that the head coach asked the shooting guard to tone down being vocal. It […]

As the Phoenix Suns are in a downward spiral, the latest report from NBA insider Chris Haynes adds on to the chaos, which is in regards to star Devin Booker and head coach Mike Budenholzer. After Booker had a cryptic message after the Suns lost three straight, he reportedly was asked weeks ago by Budenholzer […]

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer is in the thick of his team’s downward spiral. Since coming out of the All-Star break, the team is 1-3, with a three-game losing streak. Although their lone win came against the Chicago Bulls, it was a bit too close to call. Funny enough, Budenholzer sounded off on an […]

When Diana Taurasi announced her retirement, it took many by surprise. One of those was Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer. He explained before Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies how Taurasi will leave a lasting legacy. “Just a legend in basketball,” Budenholzer said. “What she’s done on the collegiate level, on the professional level, […]

Some things are best left unchanged. Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer felt that in its entirety on Saturday. He moved Tyus Jones from the starting lineup to the bench. Subsequently, he put Bradley Beal back in the starting lineup. It came as a bit of a shock since the move wasn’t formally announced. After […]

When the Phoenix Suns swapped Josh Okogie for Nick Richards, it was a quality move and one that head coach Mike Budenholzer was a fan of. However, there have been some inconsistencies with his playing time. Although he’ll play the majority of the first three quarters, it feels like he’s virtually nonexistent in the fourth […]

Tuesday night was one for the ages, as Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant hit his 30,000th point. His head coach, Mike Budenholzer, watched his star sink the free throw to give him 26 points on the night. As the fans came out of their seats and cheered, the head coach reflected on his amazing career. […]

Legends come and go in the NBA, but Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer has always been fascinated with Hubie Brown. The latter spent 15 seasons as a head coach in the NBA/ABA. He brought a certain knowledge, wisdom, and clarity to basketball that many haven’t seen. As Brown broadcasted his final game on Sunday, […]

Over the past 24 hours, the Phoenix Suns have had reports of a toxic locker room. However, head coach Mike Budenholzer wasn’t buying any of it. Although the initial report came from ESPN, Suns players refuted the toxic locker room environment. Some of it was because of trade rumors involving Kevin Durant. Some of the […]

When Luka Doncic was traded Saturday evening, it stunned many, including Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer. After Devin Booker gave his reaction to the Doncic trade, the head coach gave his initial reaction to the news following Saturday’s 127-108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. “It’s buzzing back in the locker room a bit,” […]

In the Phoenix Suns’ 130-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday, head coach Mike Budenholzer acknowledged that they had a whopping 41 assists. That number is the highest since the 2007 season. What was that season’s team? The 7-second or less version of the Suns. With guys like Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire […]

After making the 2023-24 NBA All-Star game, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker will not be invited. During the announcement of the reserves, Booker was not apart of the selection. However, his teammate, Kevin Durant, will be starting in his 15th All-Star game. Still, it left Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer feeling sour. Following Wednesday’s loss […]

Following Saturday’s win, the Phoenix Suns have more drama than just Bradley Beal trade rumors. Recently, center Jusuf Nurkic and head coach Mike Budenholzer had quite the spat in the public eye. After all, Nurkic claimed that he had no relationship with Budenholzer and that they hadn’t spoken in two months. On the flip side, […]

PHOENIX — Throughout the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns season, head coach Mike Budenholzer continues to be amazed by Kevin Durant. Although the latter has won his fair share of championships, MVPs, and Finals MVPs, he remains committed to the game of basketball. Most recently, Durant was named a starter in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. Once […]

While outsiders might see the Phoenix Suns as only having the Bradley Beal situation on their radar, there’s been another one brewing. Recently, center Jusuf Nurkic and head coach Mike Budenholzer have had conflicting messages about their relationship with one other. AZCentral’s Duane Rankin first reported Nurkic’s comments before Saturday’s 119-109 win against the Washington […]

Rebounding. The main issue that Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer and the rest of the team have echoed. However, when the Suns swapped Josh Okogie for Nick Richards, some of those problems might go away. The 7’0 big man has averaged 8.9 points and 7.5 rebounds this season in 21 games. Also, he’s started […]

The beginning of the Phoenix Suns’ five-game road trip means an Atlanta return for head coach, Mike Budenholzer. The first-year head coach started his head coaching career with the Atlanta Hawks. He led the franchise to a 60-win season in 2015, before being fired. Then, he traveled to be the Milwaukee Bucks head coach. From […]

As one of several teams attempting lineup changes midway through 2024-2025, the Phoenix Suns and Mike Budenholzer decided to bench Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic in favor of Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee. While the change has worked for Beal, the same cannot be said for Nurkic through the first five games. Beal has thrived […]

Change is difficult for many, and that includes Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal. After Beal was benched by Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, the decision came as a shock. A $50 million player who has been a starter for his whole career was being sent to the bench. While many had a variety of emotions […]

As soon as the Phoenix Suns benched Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic, it sparked plenty of questions. However, head coach Mike Budenholzer put those to rest on Monday’s pregame availability. He explained exactly why he made the change before Monday’s matchup vs the Philadelphia 76ers, via Sam DiGiovanni of ClutchPoints. “I think we just feel […]