The Phoenix suffered yet another loss after the Big 3 made their debut in the league. The Phoenix Suns faced off against the New York Knicks on December 15, 2023, at the Footprint Center with the trio of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker. While the team’s administration is vouching for some time to let the Big 3 adjust to the pace of the game, the back-to-back losses are worrisome for the franchise.
Bradley Beal has played only six games this season due to a recurrent lower back injury. In last night’s game against the New York Knicks, he sustained an injury to his right ankle along with a two-digit loss, 122-139. Beal was aiming for a three-pointer when he landed awkwardly on the foot of opposing shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo. The guard’s ankle seemed to bend in an abnormal fashion as the player grabbed it and remained on the ground.
Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal is likely to miss a few weeks with his right ankle injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Good news for Beal is testing showed no major ankle damage, but it’s another setback for Beal after the scary landing on a Knicks closeout Friday night. pic.twitter.com/a7Z8MA71Ue
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 17, 2023
Although the player stood and recorded a free throw, he was then attended to by the trainers and taken to the locker room. As per Shams Charania of ‘The Athletic,’ the player is only set to remain on the sidelines for a few weeks. However, earlier, he was stated to remain out ‘indefinitely’. The MRI cleared the scenario, as there was no major damage to Beal’s ankle.
Beal played for five minutes and scored six points and one assist, while Booker amassed 28 points, two rebounds, and nine assists. Kevin Durant scored 29 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists in his 36 minutes on the floor. While NBA fans are not satisfied with the debut of the ‘Big 3,’ it seems like Durant’s worst nightmare might transform into a reality soon enough.
History could repeat from Kevin Durant’s turbulent time at the Nets
Kevin Durant was part of another Big 3 last season. It was for the Brooklyn Nets, and along with James Harden and Kyrie Irving, he created a frenzy among the NBA fans. However, this legendary failure turned the two-plus experiment into mere ashes.
Going down memory lane, it was Kevin Durant who was susceptible to injuries during the 2019–20 season, while Harden had to be at the forefront of it all. Since Kyrie Irving also made erratic appearances in the games, Harden got tired of handling the sole responsibility and wanted a trade to the Sixers in 2021–22. Although the Nets traded in many new players, the team was riding on a low tide the entire season.
The Suns Big Three is starting to look like a lot like the previous Nets Big Three 👀
Irving, Durant, and Harden played an overall 365 minutes together (16 games), while Booker, Durant, and Beal have only played 24 minutes together 🤯 pic.twitter.com/38cbeyBtrf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 16, 2023
While Irving missed two-thirds of the 2021–22 season due to his refusal to abide by New York’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The onus of dragging the team to every game lay on Harden, and then the Big 3 couldn’t continue the partnership on the hardwood.
While the big three only played 16 times, the Nets won 80% of those games. The same seems to hold true for the Suns’ big three; however, can the franchise witness the same fate soon, as Durant seems to be burdened by the responsibility while Booker and Beal deal with frequent injuries?