Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. When the Phoenix Suns acquired 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant at the NBA’s trade deadline, the thought of being blown out in an elimination game for the second consecutive year was not on anyone’s mind.
In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks smoked the Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, losing by 33 points to end their season.
Kevin Durant, #35 of the Phoenix Suns, moves the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 6, 2023 at the Ball Arena in Denver. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) On Thursday, Phoenix lost by 25 points to the Denver Nuggets, this time in Game 6 of the conference semi-finals, ending their season. FORMER NBA STAR DWIGHT HOWARD SPARKS FURY IN CHINA OVER REFERENCE TO TAIWAN AS 'COUNTRY' "It was a bad feeling," Durant said. "It was embarrassing.
They came out and got us in the mouth and we couldn't recover." The Suns trailed by 30 points at halftime – the same deficit they faced against the Mavericks last season – and heard boos from the home crowd. "It was deflating to see them score like that and running down the floor getting easy buckets," Suns coach Monty Williams said. "That falls on my shoulders not having us ready to play at the highest level in the biggest game of the year." It was a wildly disappointing way to end the season for Phoenix, who gave up a massive haul in order to acquire Durant in February.