Veteran guard Chris Paul isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind and call out his team when he thinks there’s a need for it. That was the case when his Phoenix Suns suffered a 97-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and extended their winless run to three games.

“We’re not playing well enough right now,” Paul told reporters. “I’m not going to say we’re not good enough, but we’re not playing well enough right now.”

The Suns had a 15-point lead after the first quarter but struggled after that and surrendered the lead at halftime. They gave OKC a run for their money in the second period but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Paul himself had a prolific night, scoring a season-high 32 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. However, he didn’t have the backing of his teammates, with only two other Phoenix players scoring in double digits. The Thunder, on the other side, had six players with 10 or more points.

“We play in spurts,” Paul added. “We’ve gotta respect who we’re playing against. Every night. Respect the opponent. “

Phoenix Suns opened 2020-season 21 with a great run, and it appeared that the offseason addition of Chris Paul could lead them to being competitive in the West after years of lottery finishes. But the Suns have now fallen to an 8-8 record, with five losses in the last six games, and need a quick turnaround if they don’t want to let their season slip away.

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The Miami Heat got their first win of the season on Friday, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 111-98 in their highly-anticipated Christmas Day matchup. And they managed to do so even with their superstar Jimmy Butler not playing down the stretch because of ankle issues.

Butler rolled his ankle in Wednesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic but felt he was ready to play against the Pelicans, and ended up starting the game. The 31-year-old veteran, however, ended up spending just 16 minutes on the court in the first half before being shut down. He scored four points and added six rebounds and five assists up to that point.

Despite being without their biggest star, Miami managed to get the job done thanks to Duncan Robinson’s great shooting night. Robinson made seven three-pointers out of 13 attempts, leading the Heat with 23 points. He also added five rebounds.

Robinson had help in All-Star center Bam Adebayo, who had 17 points and four boards while being a dominant defensive presence. Veteran point guard Goran Dragic also did his part, scoring 18 points and dishing nine assists off the bench.

New Orleans was led by young stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who combined for more than half of the team’s total points. Williamson scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds, while Ingram had 28 points and three assists.

The Heat, who are now 1-1, will play their next game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. The Pelicans play the Spurs on Sunday.

The post Heat Wins 111-98 Over The Pelicans Despite Jimmy Butler’s Absence appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Veteran guard Chris Paul isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind and call out his team when he thinks there’s a need for it. That was the case when his Phoenix Suns suffered a 97-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and extended their winless run to three games.

“We’re not playing well enough right now,” Paul told reporters. “I’m not going to say we’re not good enough, but we’re not playing well enough right now.”

The Suns had a 15-point lead after the first quarter but struggled after that and surrendered the lead at halftime. They gave OKC a run for their money in the second period but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Paul himself had a prolific night, scoring a season-high 32 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. However, he didn’t have the backing of his teammates, with only two other Phoenix players scoring in double digits. The Thunder, on the other side, had six players with 10 or more points.

“We play in spurts,” Paul added. “We’ve gotta respect who we’re playing against. Every night. Respect the opponent. “

Phoenix Suns opened 2020-season 21 with a great run, and it appeared that the offseason addition of Chris Paul could lead them to being competitive in the West after years of lottery finishes. But the Suns have now fallen to an 8-8 record, with five losses in the last six games, and need a quick turnaround if they don’t want to let their season slip away.

The post Suns’ Chris Paul: “We’re Not Playing Well Enough Right Now” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Miami Heat got their first win of the season on Friday, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 111-98 in their highly-anticipated Christmas Day matchup. And they managed to do so even with their superstar Jimmy Butler not playing down the stretch because of ankle issues.

Butler rolled his ankle in Wednesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic but felt he was ready to play against the Pelicans, and ended up starting the game. The 31-year-old veteran, however, ended up spending just 16 minutes on the court in the first half before being shut down. He scored four points and added six rebounds and five assists up to that point.

Despite being without their biggest star, Miami managed to get the job done thanks to Duncan Robinson’s great shooting night. Robinson made seven three-pointers out of 13 attempts, leading the Heat with 23 points. He also added five rebounds.

Robinson had help in All-Star center Bam Adebayo, who had 17 points and four boards while being a dominant defensive presence. Veteran point guard Goran Dragic also did his part, scoring 18 points and dishing nine assists off the bench.

New Orleans was led by young stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who combined for more than half of the team’s total points. Williamson scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds, while Ingram had 28 points and three assists.

The Heat, who are now 1-1, will play their next game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. The Pelicans play the Spurs on Sunday.

The post Heat Wins 111-98 Over The Pelicans Despite Jimmy Butler’s Absence appeared first on SportzBonanza.