Getty Phoenix Suns coach Igor Kokoskov and Mikal Bridges
In the midst of the second poor showing by the Phoenix Suns in as many games, things got a bit heated on Thursday night. With the team trailing by 21 against the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter, rookie Mikal Bridges was called for a foul on Damian Lillard. After the play, Suns coach Igor Kokoskov went over to talk with him, and Bridges didn’t seem to have much interest.
Things got a bit heated from there, as House of Highlights shows.
Mikal Bridges didn’t want to hear it from Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov. 😳
Unfortunately, this somewhat sums up the last two games for Phoenix, as things just aren’t going their way right now. In a 122-105 loss to the Sacremento Kings on Tuesday, the Suns were outscored 36-9 in the first quarter. It was almost as bad on Thursday against the Blazers, who ran out to a 34-9 lead after the opening frame.
Suns’ Current Struggles
One of the most obvious issues for the Suns currently is the fact that their star guard Devin Booker is sidelined with an injury. But even that is no excuse to fall into these types of holes to start off a game. Phoenix shot 27.9 percent from beyond the arc with 21 turnovers against the Kings and struggled even more against the Blazers.
The Suns lost to Portland 108-86 and shot 38.5 percent from the field and 18.5 percent from beyond the arc. No player scored more than 15 points, but part of that had to do with the fact that the score was so out of hand that everyone who saw the floor received at least 19 minutes.
Injuries and Phoenix’s Road Woes
While the injuries to Booker and also TJ Warren are certainly impacting Phoenix, the recent start to games and overall results have been a bit confusing. The Suns aren’t loaded with talent, but they do have solid players aside from Booker and Warren. Rookie Deandre Ayton has averaged over 16 points and 10 rebounds on the season while Josh Jackson and Trevor Ariza are both more than capable of producing.
The Suns currently sit at 4-21 on the season with a 1-12 road record. Following the loss to Portland, they’ve dropped seven-straight games and 10 of the last 11. Surprisingly, their lone win came on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. Something has to give, even if Phoenix has their sights set on the No. 1 pick and potentially bringing Zion Williamson out West.
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