Boom 51+14! Markkanen blasted the Suns, Booker left the game in frustration, and the Rockets sent two injured soldiers.

The Suns reversed the Kings by 20 points in the first game of the season on the road, completely disrupting Westbrook's debut. Booker surged in the final quarter, and the fans instantly ignited hope, as if this scarred team was finally going to rise from the ashes and go all out to hit the playoffs. However, the following plot is like a black humor: the Suns suffered three consecutive defeats, first being bloodbathed by the Clippers, and then beaten by the Nuggets. Today, the Suns lost to the Jazz 134-138, winning one of their first four games, and fell back into the familiar quagmire. It seems that the Suns will not be able to get up in a short time, and the team's strength is too poor. Perhaps the Suns didn't make a profit from the deal that shocked the league during the offseason.

The operation of both parties was that the Suns sent away Durant in exchange for Jaylen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick. This was supposed to be the Suns' salvation, but it became the beginning of a nightmare. The Suns management expected two young players to assist Booker in reaching the playoffs. One Green could attack and the other could defend. Unexpectedly, the Rockets sent two sick notes in a package. Dillon missed today's game due to right groin soreness after playing three games; Jaylen Green is even more exaggerated. He has not played a minute since the trade and has even missed all preseason games. The iron man during the Rockets period suddenly became a man of glass. The official story is that it was a hamstring strain, but fans have begun to doubt Feng Shui.

Green has been with the Rockets for four years and has played almost every game; Dillon has played 74 games in the past two seasons and can be said to be synonymous with tough guys. Fire him and change his team logo to become a glass man? The medical team is responsible for this. It can only be said that the Suns' medical team is not as good as the Rockets, because after Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady were constantly injured, the Rockets learned from the pain and decided to hollow out the Suns' medical team. Only then did the Rockets players have a healthy situation. Harden had not been seriously injured in the Rockets for 8 years, but he suffered a grade two hamstring strain when he joined the Nets. Back then, Gordon and Anderson were famous for their glass attributes, but they suddenly came to life in Houston; now the situation has changed, Green and Dillon have fallen, but Durant is as healthy as a 20-year-old in the Rockets. He has started the year very well.

The gap in medical standards is visible to the naked eye. In today's game, the Jazz were not strong, but the Suns' firepower seemed to be choked with oxygen. At the beginning, Markkanen went wild in the paint, scoring 14 points in a single quarter. The Jazz launched a 19-2 attack wave, and the Suns' defense was useless. Booker forced his way to chase points, still trailing by 12 points in the first quarter. But in the second quarter, the substitutes were full of firepower, and the Suns were only 3 points behind at halftime. In the second half, the Jazz's Big Three, Markkanen, George, and Kessler, were as solid as a rock. The Jazz continued to enter the final quarter with an 8-point advantage. At the decisive moment, the two sides fought fiercely. The Suns suddenly opened fire from the outside and scored 4 three-pointers in a row. There was once hope of a comeback. But Markkanen and George were full of energy and responded tit-for-tat, and the two sides entered overtime.

In overtime, the Suns were completely unable to play, Booker was out of breath, and the Jazz relied on George and Markkanen to harvest the game. Jazz Markkanen scored 51 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists in the game. He was completely crazy. The Suns defense was defeated by him alone. On the other hand, Booker of the Suns scored 34 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists. He was still very brave, but he could not hide the overall weakness of the team. During the offseason, the Suns just signed a four-year maximum salary deal with Booker, with an average salary of 70 million. For Booker personally, it doesn't matter whether the record is good or bad. Anyway, the money has arrived, the data is beautiful, and the career resume has been added. But for management, this is a disaster. The team hasn't figured out a point guard yet. The compatibility issue between Booker and Green is too difficult. The team even talked about letting Green switch to point guard and Booker to shooting guard?

But neither Greenbook nor Greenbook is an organizer, and forced transformation will only make the offense more constipated. Booker can break through and distribute the ball, but his rhythm and vision are far inferior to those of a real point guard; Green is a pure scorer, his strength is in singles with the ball, but his weakness is organization. The two of them stacking up will only make the Suns backcourt fall into the embarrassment of "two guns and no core". Looking back at the reconstruction of the Sun in recent years can be called a tragic comic strip. In the era of Paul + Booker, the talent was overwhelming and they reached the finals, with Da Qiao and Huang Zhong sitting on the wings. They lost the championship that year and were defeated by the Bucks 2-0 in 4 consecutive games. During the offseason, the management had a sudden illness and went to the hospital indiscriminately. They traded Huang Zhong + Da Qiao for Durant. They were eliminated in the second round the following year and still received the Clippers bonus.

It would have been better to keep Paul for another year, but the Suns management was so impatient that they traded Paul + draft picks for Bill. As a result, the dreams of the Big Three were completely incompatible, and the team completely disintegrated this offseason. Now that the first-round picks in the next few years are still in the hands of the Rockets, the current situation is difficult and the future is even more bleak. Every step the management takes is like demolishing a house: tearing down the championship window, tearing down the asset depth, until only Booker is left. Today's defeat is just the latest episode in this tragedy. In this game, the Jazz's three-core team was very physical, but the Suns' substitutes struggled but were unable to continue; Booker had 34+11, but it was difficult to turn the tide. He was beaten by Markkanen on the inside and was restrained by George on the outside. The absence of Green and Dillon is like two puzzle pieces with huge gaps, turning the Suns' lineup from luxurious on paper to a sieve in actual combat. The management's pre-game talk of "hitting the playoffs" now seems more like a self-deceptive slogan.

Medical care, lineup, assets, future, the sun is leaking from all sides. Booker's maximum salary is like a shining golden shackle, locking in the team's salary space and also locking in the management's retreat. If Green can return healthy, he may be able to bring vitality, but who can guarantee that he will not be "cursed by the sun" again? Dillon's groin and Green's hamstring are like two lingering shadows, reminding Phoenix that the deal is not a savior, but two medical records with huge unknowns. With one victory in four games, the Suns have slipped to the lower reaches of the west. Jazz, Markkanen, George, and Kessler gave this wealthy old family a resounding slap in the face with a hearty victory. Booker was silent after the game, the camera panned the empty locker room, and the fans could only sigh. In the next few years, the Suns will be shackled by the Rockets' draft picks and struggle between rebuilding and failing. The once scorching sun is now only the setting sun like blood. Perhaps the fate awaiting the Suns is to continue sending high-draft rookies to the Rockets.