Devin Booker returns, Bradley Beal goes down, Phoenix Suns lose again

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said before Tuesday’s game against Memphis that he couldn’t remember many previous seasons, let alone the number of injuries each season.

At this rate, it will be hard for him to forget the number of players who have had to sit out and sit in the training room this season.

Devin Booker returned from a sore left groin that sidelined him for five games, but Bradley Beal suffered a bruised left hip and did not play the final three quarters of Phoenix’s 117-112 loss to the Grizzlies in front of a sellout crowd 17,071 spectators Footprint Center.

The Suns (15-17) remain under .500 and 11^Th in the West.

The Grizzlies (23-11) were without star guard Ja Morant (shoulder), but got a combined 69 points from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane to lead past the Suns.

Kevin Durant scored a team-high 29 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists, Tyus Jones scored 21 points and Booker added 16 points and nine assists in his comeback.

Here are takeaways from the New Year’s Eve loss. The Suns hit the road next, starting with a game Saturday at Indiana.

Jackson Jr. and Bane take advantage of the Suns defense

The Suns felt like they were able to build on solid defense over the last three games.

Then Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 19 of his game-high 38 points in the first quarter against Suns rookie Oso Ighodaro. The Grizzlies began the game shooting 83.3% from the field.

At halftime, Phoenix trailed 69-55.

The Suns attacked defensively in the second half but had no answer for Desmond Bane, who finished with 31 points. Bane is tough enough to stop a team’s best defender.

Because of this, Josh Okogie started guarding him, but all Memphis did was check Okogie to make the switch for a more favorable match, such as when Monte Morris and Bane went to work.

If the Suns had several top defenders, switching wouldn’t be a problem. The Suns don’t have the luxury that Oklahoma City or Boston do.

So while teams move as if they were programmed to, the Suns can’t afford it.

Durant is off the ball

Yes, Kevin Durant is arguably the purest scorer of all time.

You want to have the ball in your hands, but he can also absorb turnovers. Durant had eight in Saturday’s loss at Golden State.

The Suns began Tuesday’s game with Durant moving the ball away and putting him in scoring positions to either catch and shoot or take two dribbles or pull up.

That may work for him because he’s such an efficient scorer, but who doesn’t want the ball in his hands? The Suns can still do that, but less can be more for him.

They have two point guards in Tyus Jones and Monte Morris who have doctorates in assist-to-turnover ratio. Together with Booker, they can initiate the offense more and force Durant to finish plays.

He will also be fresher as the game progresses to score a basket or an important rebound or block. He can still facilitate, but the Suns need him to score more than pass. One way to ensure this is to have him play the ball in such a way that he can catch the ball in a position where he can score.

Beginners learn in no time

Ighodaro spoke before the season about being able to control the guards.

He found out once again that this is the NBA, not college, when Luke Kennard took him outside, danced with the ball and went right past him for a layup.

Ighodaro has the skills and IQ to guard the perimeter, but like everything else, experience is the best teacher. The more he finds himself in these situations, the better he will be over the course of this season.

With so many guys out, the Suns are relying on rookies Ryan Dunn and Ighodaro to play, but they make plays, whether it’s passing the ball off a double or making good decisions.

Sometimes they play a great game. Sometimes they turn the ball over, but again, experience is the best teacher.

Injuries continue to mount for the Suns

Give two back, lose two.

The Suns brought back Bol Bol and Booker after they each missed five games because of injuries, but Grayson Allen was unable to go after being listed as probable cause and Beal left with a bruised left hip that he suffered in the first quarter had closed.

Allen cleared the concussion protocol that sidelined him four games, but Budenholzer said before the game that the shooting guard had shoulder problems due to Monday’s 5-on-5 practice.

Then Beal appeared to suffer the injury when he was fouled by Jackson Jr. with 4:40 left in the first quarter when he fell, but he played the entire first quarter.

Beal did not return to the game after checking out at the end of the first period.

The Suns will miss Royce O’Neale for three games with a sprained left ankle that will be re-evaluated in 10 days, the Suns announced Tuesday.

O’Neale badly sprained his ankle late in the first half in Saturday’s loss at Golden State, did not play in the second half and left Chase Arena in a walking boot. Based on the schedule, O’Neale will likely miss the Jan. 9 home game against Atlanta before his scheduled reevaluation.

The Suns play Utah on January 11th and Charlotte at home on January 12th. O’Neale could be back by then.

Until then, they’ll have Jusuf Nurkic back, as he received the second of his three-game suspension without pay on Tuesday for his involvement in an “on-field” altercation with Dallas Mavericks forwards Naji Marshall and PJ Washington Jr. in last week’s home loss has served.

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Devin Booker returns, Bradley Beal goes down, Phoenix Suns lose again

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