What we learned: Phoenix Suns still haven't fixed 4th quarter woes, fall to Orlando Magic

ORLANDO — The Phoenix Suns don’t have to look too far to figure out how they lost, 113-98, Sunday to the Orlando Magic before a crowd of 18,823 at Kia Center.

They had 23 turnovers that led to 21 Magic points and failed to matchup against Orlando’s size in the fourth quarter. The Magic went on an inexplicable 21-2 run in the fourth to close out the victory and had 11 offensive rebounds that led to 22 second-chance points for the game.

The Suns (26-20) have gone from winning seven consecutive games and climbing to fifth in the West to losing their last two by once again wilting in the fourth quarter.

Orlando outscored Phoenix, 31-13, in the fourth 48 hours after Indiana nearly doubled the Suns, 28-17, in its 133-131 comeback win.

Booker was once again the lone major scorer and Orlando avenged its loss in Phoenix with rising star Paolo Banchero playing like a future All-Star.

Coming off a season-high 62-point night Friday, Devin Booker cranked out 44 on 17-of-26 shooting in almost scoring half of Phoenix’s points for the game, but only had two in the fourth after another 20-point quarter (21) in the third.

Booker has exploded for 152 through three games of this seven-game road trip on 65.1% shooting (56-of-86). He’s 13-of-24 from 3, but the Suns have dropped the last two games after starting the road trip with a win at Dallas.

Banchero led a more balanced Orlando (24-22) attack with 26 as five players reached double figures. Mo Wagner added 16 off the bench with nine coming in the fourth.

Wagner was part of the big Magic lineup in the fourth that had four players at least 6-10 in height in his brother, Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Banchero and himself.

Here’s what we learned as the Suns (26-20) only generated 14 shots from 3, making just four with both those stats being season lows.

Not matching physicality

The Suns were making it look too easy early.

They shot 75% in the first quarter in building an 37-26 lead after one.

Bradley Beal started fast in getting to the rim in scoring seven in the quarter, mask and all. Granted it was a makeshift mask, which he wore after injuring his nose in Friday's game, which impeded his vision on a 4-of-13 night, but he had it going early.

Booker scored 10 in the first and the four turnovers in the quarter weren’t slowing down the Suns. The Suns led by as many as 13 points in the first half.

So, the Magic decided to play even more physical with the mindset that had Booker saying after the game with the hope the referees don’t call everything.

Every team tries to get away with that, but how the Suns respond to that is key.

At Dallas, they wound up becoming the more physical team.

The last two games, Indiana and Orlando have won that physical battle in comeback victories.

The Suns didn’t have 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic, who would’ve been a factor from a physical standpoint, but Drew Eubanks and two-player Udoka Azubuike were the next lines of physicality.

12 shots for Durant in 37 minutes

Eubanks is athletic and Azubuike is a brute, but the Magic countered with not only more size, but more skilled size. Franz Wagner and Banchero can both handle the ball, as can Mo Wagner.

So, when they got a size mismatch, say, against Eric Gordon or Booker, the Magic bullied their way into the paint and scored. They had 50 paint paints to Phoenix’s 40.

It wasn't the 84 Indiana pummeled Phoenix with Friday, but more than enough to create a style of play Phoenix didn’t match.

Looking at the Suns roster, they don’t have the bruisers like other teams. They win with skill, their Big 3 creating matchup nightmares and giving multiple efforts on defense.

However, when Kevin Durant only scores 15 on 12 shots and Beal is having issues seeing clearly with the mask in shooting 4-of-13, the Suns could’ve used another offensive spark.

Gordon had nine, but only took five shots and Grayson Allen only had three shot attempts. They combined for 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, but only went 2-of-3 from 3.

Not enough 3s to Vogel's likening

Phoenix coach Frank Vogel talked after the game about how Orlando’s defense stayed home on the pick-and-roll, which factored into only generating 14 hoists from 3. The Suns should get more 3s especially with the way Booker started the game. That should’ve led to more 3s for everyone else.

It’s a fine line to watch someone cook like Booker and get others involved. Durant shouldn’t attempt just 12 shots in 37 minutes. He’s one of the game’s most efficient players, but he didn’t get to the line.

That’s strange. The Suns didn’t exactly capitalize at the line either in a 12-of-21 effort.

Look, Phoenix has two choices here: Either play more physical when it’s necessary against the bigger teams, a strategy that may lead to some low scoring wins, or speed up the game and take advantage of their skill players against size.

The Suns would probably rather do the latter, but Orlando has two guys in Banchero and Franz Wagner who possess both and can really create problems.

Injury update: Beal plays; Nurkic, Bol out

Beal played Sunday after taking an elbow to the face from a driving Myles Turner in the third quarter Friday at Indiana that left him bleeding profusely.

Beal finished that game and started Sunday after undergoing scans, tests and receiving a makeshift mask that’s far from customized. He’s hoping to get the custom one Monday.

Nurkic missed Sunday’s game as he continued to have pain and swelling in his left thumb he jammed twice in Friday’s game. He did so some pregame work Sunday and may play Monday at Miami if the pain lessens and swelling goes down.

Bol missed his eighth straight game with a right foot sprain that has been a previous issue for him. He’s been doing on-court work, but still experiencing pain on cuts and movements.

Vogel is still hopeful Bol plays at some point on the road trip that continues with its fourth game Monday at Miami.

Up next: Monday at Miami in second of back-to-back

The Heat (24-22) have now lost their last six games as they’re coming off a 125-109 defeat Saturday at New York. Jimmy Butler scored 28 points while Duncan Robinson added 19 off the bench. The Knicks shot 17-of-33 from 3 and scored 46 points in the paint in the win over Miami.

The Heat recently traded Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick to Charlotte for Terry Rozier, who can get buckets off the bounce and score in bunches. He’s shooting just 10-of-33 from the field (2-of-11 from 3) in his first three games with the Heat that have all ended in losses.

The Suns beat the Heat, 113-97, Jan. 5 in Phoenix as Allen scored 31 points, hitting a career-high nine shots from 3

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Turnovers, poor 4th doom Suns again, fall to Magic on Booker 44-point night