{"id":102677,"date":"2024-10-23T16:58:11","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T20:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=102677"},"modified":"2024-10-23T16:58:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T20:58:11","slug":"last-5-phoenix-suns-season-openers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/23\/last-5-phoenix-suns-season-openers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look at the Last Five Suns Season Openers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is always important for the Phoenix Suns<\/a> to get off to a winning start in season openers, particularly in a conference as competitive as the West.\u00a0 The Suns have title-winning aspirations this campaign, and victory over the LA Clippers<\/a> in their first game will give them momentum heading into a busy first two weeks.<\/p>\n

But how have they fared in the last five seasons and what has it led to?<\/p>\n

A Look at the Last Five Suns Season Openers<\/h2>\n

2023\/24 \u2013 Phoenix Suns 108-104 Golden State Warriors (Away)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Last year, the Suns began with a victory over the Golden State Warriors<\/a> in their season opener.\u00a0 It was the first time Kevin Durant<\/a> played against the Warriors as a member of the Suns, scoring 18 points.\u00a0 Devin Booker<\/a>, who had been questionable, played and scored a game-high 32 points<\/a>.\u00a0 The highly anticipated debut of Bradley Beal<\/a> alongside the star duo did not occur as he was out with a back injury, one that would keep him out for weeks to come.<\/p>\n

It was a back-and-forth game which saw the Suns take a 15-point lead into halftime.\u00a0 The Warriors, who are often so dominant in third quarters, fought back outscoring their opponents by 21 to take the lead.\u00a0 It was the Suns who prevailed with a strong fourth-quarter finish.\u00a0 Steph Curry<\/a> was the Warriors\u2019 points leader with 27.<\/p>\n

Four losses in six followed for Phoenix, though they were without Booker and Beal for the most part.\u00a0 It was a tumultuous season which saw them linger around the play-in positions, but they ultimately grabbed the sixth seed.\u00a0 Their playoffs ended in a sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> in the first round.<\/p>\n

2022\/23 \u2013 Phoenix Suns 107-105 Dallas Mavericks (Home)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Just months after their game seven humiliation against the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>, the Suns would open their season with another matchup with the side in one of the wildest season openers in recent years.\u00a0 The final score shows a very close game, though this did not tell the full story.\u00a0 For much of the game, it was a one-sided affair in the favour of the Mavericks, as home fans were feeling a sense of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu.\u00a0 The Suns were down by as many as 22 points and at half-time, the away team was up by 17.\u00a0 The arena was deflated, but the second half saw a stunning comeback.<\/p>\n

The box score will show Booker with 28 points<\/a>, but the spark came from an unlikely source in Damion Lee<\/a>.\u00a0 Off the bench, the guard scored 11 points, including the game-winning shot with 9.7 seconds left.\u00a0 He also drained a pair of clutch three-pointers and scored all his points in the final quarter to secure the dramatic win.<\/p>\n

This led to six wins in their opening seven as the Suns finished as the fourth seed.\u00a0 However, it was a much different team to end the season than what started it, thanks to the blockbuster deadline trade which saw Durant acquired.\u00a0 The Suns would go on to lose in the second round against the eventual champions, the\u00a0Denver Nuggets<\/a>.<\/p>\n