The Phoenix Suns were unceremoniously swept out of the first round of last season’s playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading to the departure of coach Frank Vogel.
Six months later, the Suns are off to a strong start under new coach Mike Budenholzer, riding a five-game winning streak into Wednesday night’s matchup with the visiting Miami Heat.
Phoenix secured their sixth win in seven games this season by overcoming a nine-point deficit with a 14-3 closing burst to beat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 118-116 on Monday. Kevin Durant’s layup with 24 seconds left clinched the victory. Durant scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, making 14 of 20 field-goal attempts overall.
Rumors swirled that Durant didn’t fully mesh with the departed Vogel, but things feel different with Budenholzer at the helm. Durant mentioned the improved attention to detail under the new coach.
Phoenix’s win on Monday came despite star guard Devin Booker scoring a season-low 13 points on 3-of-18 shooting, including 0-of-6 from three-point range.
Bradley Beal added 17 points and seems to have moved on from an elbow injury that sidelined him for two games. After joining the Suns last season, Beal missed significant time early due to injuries and struggled to find his place.
Meanwhile, the Heat are starting a six-game road trip, with upcoming games at Denver, Minnesota, Detroit, and two at Indiana on Nov. 15-17.
Miami split its first six contests and is coming off a heartbreaking 111-110 loss to the visiting Sacramento Kings on Monday. Sacramento star Domantas Sabonis scored the game-winning basket on a putback with less than a second left after De’Aaron Fox’s initial shot, as Miami couldn’t secure the rebound.
Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 27 points for Miami, with Butler contributing 15 in the final period.
The Heat received a boost from rookie guard Pelle Larsson, who scored 13 points in 25 minutes off the bench, marking his third appearance for the second-round pick out of Arizona.
Veteran forward Kevin Love (personal reasons) returned for Monday’s game but sat out for conditioning reasons. He will also miss Wednesday’s game. Second-year pro Jaime Jaquez Jr. (gastroenteritis) will miss his second straight game.
Phoenix won both meetings with Miami last season.
