Down 2-0, the NBA Playoff odds are stacked against the Phoenix Suns

It all starts in Game 3

It’s an old and tired cliché, but the Phoenix Suns really will need to take the remainder of this uphill climb one game at a time if they want to make this semifinals round interesting. With Chris Paul’s groin injury making his availability an unknown, according to Fox Sports, the Suns may have to give their best shot in Game 3 without their sage leader.

Kevin Durant has to be better than the 10-27 shooting, including 2-12 from deep, performance that he produced in Game 2, and head coach Monty Williams has to put his newly acquired star in better positions to score moving forward. Phoenix’s depth has been a huge question mark ever since they swung the KD trade, but there are some quality pieces that have yet to be unearthed on a consistent basis for the Suns. Both Terrence Ross and T.J. Warren were brought in for their scoring ability on the wings, and, now more than ever, Phoenix needs contributors outside of their usual suspects.

Considering Paul is likely to be out for the next few games, the Suns have to pivot from what hasn’t been working, and Monty Williams needs to open up his toolbox. It could be deploying Ross and Warren off of the pine, enabling Durant to be the lead ball-handler as he did with the Brooklyn Nets after James Harden went down in 2021, or activating Deandre Ayton as a low-post scorer to try to bait the Joker into foul trouble. It could be something else entirely.

Regardless, something needs to change for the Phoenix Suns if they hope to topple the Denver Nuggets and advance into the Conference Finals.