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When the Phoenix Suns paired Bradley Beal with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, they were expected to be a finals contender. Instead, they've turned in to one of the worst fourth-quarter teams in NBA history.
Injuries have been a big factor why things have not worked out how the Suns might have hoped. They are ninth in the Western Conference with a 19-18 record.
A big factor in Phoenix floating around .500 is due to their lackluster fourth-quarter play. Here are some stats that indicate just how bad they've been down the stretch of games.
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Eye-popping Phoenix Suns fourth quarter stats
1) Late game collapses
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When looking at the Phoenix Suns' fourth quarter struggles, their last game is a clear example. They were within striking distance with 11 minutes to go, but they completely fell apart.
The LA Clippers ripped off a 26-4 run in seven minutes to put the Suns away for good. They ended up winning 138-111.
2) League-worst offensive rating
When the roster was put together, offense was not something the Suns were expected to struggle in. Led be Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Phoenix has a trio of players capable of scoring 30+ points on any given night.
Even with this abundance of firepower, they have the worst fourth quarter offensive rating in the NBA by a wide margin. In their recent machup with the Clippers, the trio of Suns star combined for just nine points.
3) Constantly blowing leads
When it comes to teams looking to contend, taking care of business in the fourth quarter is a common quality. However, it's the biggest flaw of the Phoenix Suns.
Typically, elite-level stars are able to hold a lead for their team entering the final quarter of play. Meanwhile, we aren't even halfway through the regular season, yet the Suns have lost eight games where they've led entering the fourth quarter.
4) Histroically poor net rating
When diving in to the numbers, the Phoenix Suns are on pace to be the worst fourth-quarter team in NBA history. Since the league began tracking the data over 25 years ago, no team has had a worse net rating in the final 12 minutes.
Given this net rating, it's no surprise to see that the Suns have coughed up so many games. No group can expect to win consistently when they are getting outplayed to this degree on a nightly basis.
5) Numbers comparable to a seven-win team
To further point out just how poor the Phoenix Suns' fourth-quarter net rating is, it's comparable to what would be the worst team in league history. Spread out across an entire season, a team with an overall net rating of -16.1 would win seven games.
Even some of the NBA's worst teams don't have a net rating comparable to that. The Detroit Pistons set the longest single-season losing streak earlier this year. At the moment, their overall net rating is -10.9, which is almost six points higher than the Suns' fourth-quarter rating.
If Phoenix wants any chance at contending for a title this season, they will need to figure out how to survive down the stretch of games.
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