The Phoenix Suns suffered a 117-98 loss to the Houston Rockets, shooting a season-worst 5-for-36 from three-point range. This performance marked the league's lowest three-point percentage with at least 25 attempts this season. Devin Booker's absence due to a groin injury contributed to the struggles.
In a game played in Phoenix, the Suns fell behind early and couldn't recover against the Rockets. Their 14% three-point shooting highlighted a rough night, especially from typically reliable shooters Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and Collin Gillespie, who combined for 2-of-18 attempts from deep.
Suns coach Jordan Ott reflected on the offensive woes postgame: "Ball movement. Did we screen well enough? Did we play fast enough? I think all of that goes into it." He added, "Live, it felt alright, but when you keep looking down or looking up at the scoreboard, that number is not moving in the right direction, you definitely question it."
Center Mark Williams pointed to broader issues: "Some live ball turnovers. We didn't shoot it well. I think that kind of bled into our defense." He emphasized, "Everybody needs to step up."
Booker sat out his first game of the season with a groin injury, potentially impacting the team's spacing. The Suns, who entered with a 13-10 record and had lost four of their last six, rank ninth in three-point percentage at 36.8%.
Under first-year coach Ott, Phoenix has shifted toward more three-point attempts compared to previous regimes under Mike Budenholzer, Frank Vogel, and Monty Williams. Ott has focused on analytics and possession, as he noted in November: “I think the analytics boom was shot quality and efficiency of shots, [but] they left out a lot of times (that) you can’t be in the negative in the possession game every night.”
Upcoming road games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday and Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday will test the Suns' resilience without Booker, who may return soon.