The Suns’ high commitment caused the implementation to fail in the late defeat against the Warriors

These Phoenix Suns sure play hard, but their lack of production on both ends continues to be a problem, as Saturday’s 109-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors demonstrated in droves.

Both teams were among the Western Conference’s elite just a few weeks into the season before both teams fell off a cliff. The Suns started 9-2 and are 6-14 since then, while the Warriors have lost 12 of their last 15 since the start of the year, going 12-3. Both started 15:15 in play-in positions for the overall standings.

The key difference Saturday was how shorthanded the Suns were without Devin Booker (left groin strain), Grayson Allen (concussion protocol) and Jusuf Nurkic (suspension), while Golden State was without Moses Moody (left knee) or Gary Payton II (Left calf strain).

It was probably a game that was much more fun to be a part of than to watch, as the competitive energy was as constant as the lack of execution. The third quarter in particular was characterized by both teams being unable to create much separation, even though the opportunities were there.

Phoenix put up a good fight to get through it all, leading by five early in the fourth quarter, largely on the backs of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. The offense clicked enough and the energy output on defense was high enough to represent a pretty solid performance from the Suns, if it weren’t for a few small errors in defensive rotations and a lack of rim protection that led to a number of shots at the basket by the Warriors would have and open 3s.

These errors increased the performance of two outstanding high-motor contributions from the Sun wings.

Royce O’Neale suffered a severe ankle sprain midway through the second quarter that ruled him out for the rest of the game, making Ryan Dunn’s best game in weeks all the more important. The rookie had his mid-range touch and attacked the rim aggressively while also making some plays on the glass and at the basket as a rim protector. Add in great Josh Okogie minutes that really woke the Suns up in the first half, and they somehow got enough of their supporting cast again.

After three and a half quarters in which neither team was able to put up an effective shot to stop this score, it was unclear who would be able to claim victory, even as the Suns led by nine with less than seven minutes left . As you can see from this recap of the last five minutes, no one really made it to the end.

How did the Suns lose the game late?

With just over five minutes left in a timeout, a Beal turnover was followed by a Stephen Curry floater and Beal missed 3. Dennis Schroder scored at the rim and suddenly it was 100-99 Suns with 3:45 left. Then Durant turned the ball over and the Warriors hit free throws in transition to take the lead.

Curry missed two shots you’d expect him to make, allowing Phoenix to get back up two points before a Schroder 3 quickly ended the game. Another labored offensive play by the Suns, focused on isolation from Beal or Durant, resulted in a Durant turnover, and after Phoenix again escaped a good Curry look without falling, Durant fought for the miss, drawing a loose one Ball after a foul and sank both free throws Making it 105-104 Suns with 30 seconds left.

Finally the execution came. It didn’t happen through the suns.

Golden State made a wonderful play with Curry as a decoy who brought Jonathan Kuminga under the basket. As Kuminga arrived, Green fired the pass over the goal and skillfully converted the foul on Durant as the defender recovered.

Both free throws failed, and when it was the Suns’ turn in the ATO game, the design worked. Durant rotated the screening action to the top of the key to create room to work, but Beal, as the ball-handler, lowered his head for a drive a second too early, presumably anticipating that Durant wouldn’t get open. Durant then had to go downhill on Green and Green played his usual spectacular defense to force a miss and win it.

Durant was 10 of 24 and scored 31 points with six rebounds, three assists and four blocks, but turned it over eight times. Beal’s 28 points were due to good shooting efficiency (12 of 24), but neither of them made a field goal in the final 10:52 minutes of the game, and he only scored a total of seven points in the fourth quarter.

Dunn scored 13 points and Okogie added 11 with nine rebounds (six offensive), two steals and two blocks.

Follow @KellanOlson