PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns’ battle for two-plus months has been making baby steps. It’s nowhere near where they should be progress-wise but is their current reality a week away from the All-Star break. For now, that’s gotta happen to at least lock in postseason basketball before any bigger conversations on grand aspirations.

That’s why it’s hard to take much out of Saturday’s 122-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back, besides shorthanded Phoenix showing a good enough amount of energy to hang around and make Denver earn it.

Devin Booker did not get a rest after halftime of Friday’s overtime win, ending up at 49 minutes, a number that loomed for Saturday. It was an unfortunate necessity. Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) and Bradley Beal (left great toe soreness) were out again on Saturday, and so too was the hero of Friday’s win Grayson Allen (left knee soreness).

Outside of a few misses for Tyus Jones on floaters, the Suns had a great offensive start, generating 3s and making ’em. They got up 50 on the night, showing good signs of executing the gameplan. The issue was Denver beginning the game 14-for-18 from the floor to lead by 11 after nine minutes. Booker was seeing crowds everywhere when he had the ball or was about to get it.

This margin more or less held around that range until Denver got it to 17 by the end of the third quarter, with Phoenix hanging around thanks in part to nice contributions off the bench from Bol Bol, TyTy Washington Jr. and Damion Lee. But the Suns (26-26) could never put together a strong enough run to really put pressure on Denver (34-19), a trend that persisted till the end.

Channeling some same positive energy for how the Suns competed in this one, they did so without burning themselves too bad. The defense has gotta be much better, but again, that’s just where this team is going to be at, especially shorthanded. They won second-chance points 23-15 and points off turnovers 10-7, their kryptonite nearly every night.

“I thought the effort on the boards was tangible,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “You could feel our guys going and getting offensive rebounds, our guys going and getting defensive rebounds.”

Booker was 8-of-19 in 34 minutes for 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two turnovers. He was often put in positions where it was more down to the secondary assist coming from him, which is where you can point at some of Jones’ 10 assists to go with 15 points and zero turnovers. Jones tried to be aggressive scoring the ball and was but went 6-of-17.

This was the second straight productive stint in the rotation for Bol. He brings some desperately needed size to the wing rotation. While he’s often erratic, Bol is a legitimate weapon for Phoenix, specifically at home. The crowd adores him and he captivates everyone to the point where he’s a one-man spark plug for the building’s atmosphere. He ended up with 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 33 minutes.

It has been a down year for Denver’s Jamal Murray. That version of him did not show up on Saturday. He made three quick 3s to begin the game and finished with 30 points (12-for-23). Suns rookie Ryan Dunn struggled in a way we’ve rarely seen with a premier assignment. He only played 13 minutes and Budenholzer said pregame that Dunn is still dealing with some discomfort in his left ankle. Dunn sprained it two weeks ago before tweaking it again on Wednesday.

Jokic missed two shots, going 11-of-13 for 26 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in 29 minutes. The greatness that man is capable of even in a relative jog of a game like this should not go unnoticed.

The Nuggets have now won six straight, five coming without Russell Westbrook (left calf strain), who in many ways jolted their season back to life. They were also missing the on-fire Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring tightness), owner of 28.8 points per game across the winning streak while shooting 62%. Peyton Watson (right knee sprain) was also out, the type of hyper-athletic wing that causes the Suns massive issues.

Budenholzer was hopeful Durant could play on Tuesday in Phoenix against Memphis, labeling the ankle issue as something not very serious at all. He did not go to those lengths for Beal, who got a “we’ll see” for his status. Allen’s been bothered by that knee for the past two seasons and it will occasionally pop up on the injury report.

Western Conference’s pecking order around Suns as All-Star break approaches

Denver came into the day ranked third in offense and 20th in defense. Interestingly, since Dec. 8 the Nuggets are 23-9, but those marks across that time are nearly identical. So, this has not been some dramatic turnaround after a blah start 20-plus games in. And Denver can be a direct example for the Suns to take from in how a below average defense can still be supported by a great offense if it is elite enough.

This surge from Denver now has them on pace to sit with Oklahoma City (42-9), Memphis (35-17) and Houston (32-20) in the top-4 in the West standings. That’s then two guaranteed playoff spots left up for grabs if that holds, a reasonable assumption. (In a brief side note, the Rockets have lost six straight, so keep an eye on them for the rest of the month.)

The trade deadline only further intensified how highly contested those spots will be.

The Los Angeles Lakers (31-19) have won 11 of their last 13 to rise above the clutter. Luka Doncic is set to make his debut on Monday, so the key will be how long it takes for Doncic and LeBron James to grow their dynamic while still being a capable enough team defensively to win through that. The safe bet is the unreal production Doncic and James bring on a nightly basis is enough of a buffer to at the very least stay in this top-six race, even after the Mark Williams trade was shockingly rescinded by L.A. on Saturday evening.

Minnesota (30-23) did not make a move but is getting prime Anthony Edwards right now. In his last 19 games, Edwards is at 32.3 PPG. Through injuries, they’ve been forced to play younger guys like Jaylen Clark, Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., which is exactly what Minnesota needed in its rotation. Clark, in particular, has had a very good week.

Without Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers (28-23) held a top-six spot. Since his permanent return, they were oddly 4-4 coming into Saturday. Another squad worth highlighting up until March to see where they stand.

And while the Dallas Mavericks (28-25) have some big-picture fit things to figure out with Anthony Davis at the 4 and a lack of on-ball creation beyond Kyrie Irving, those are problems that sprout in the postseason. They should win a lot of games in the meantime. In Davis’ Dallas debut, he was an absolute leviathan, with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes before he tweaked his groin. The trade was horrible and will remain horrible but don’t forget that Davis is a top-tier player.

Ditto for Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors (26-26). Expect him to go on an awesome tear over these last two months.

That feels like a good cut-off point for teams that deserve current consideration for the 6/7 line of the standings. It’s a total of nine before we get to the Suns.

Further down, De’Aaron Fox’s move out of Sacramento (25-26) figured to make the Kings much worse but they got back Zach LaVine in the three-team deal, who is having a fantastic year. In the early returns two games in, though, the Kings will require time to mesh. Ditto for San Antonio after picking up Fox, and it’s a steep climb from 22-28 even though they were able to acquire him for no one in the rotation.

And then there’s the Portland Trail Blazers, who can only be lightly crossed off if at all thanks to a 10-2 tear to suddenly be in the mix at 23-30.

That’s 13 teams. Maybe it’s not in the way we imagined it in the preseason when hyping up the West, with a few key contenders stuck in the log jam, but it’s met it for competitiveness.

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — They are two of the more delightful — in Philadelphia — and detestable — to the rest of the league — words that have escalated into the fast-evolving NFL lexicon.

Tush push.

No team has taken advantage of the rugby-style scrum — deemed so unstoppable that the NFL had flirted with the idea of banning the play — quite like the Eagles under coach Nick Sirianni and QB Jalen Hurts.

Sirianni likes to say that every first down for the Eagles is first-and-9.

No example summed up how much the tush push can be a pain in the butt to the opposition quite like when the Eagles used it to maddening perfection against Washington in the NFC championship game. The Commanders jumped offside four times in a sequence of five plays while trying to stop the tush push — earning them a warning from the referee that he could award the Eagles a touchdown if the Commanders did it again.

It sounded implausible but it was true, right there in Rule 12, Section 3, Article 2 of the league’s rule book. Titled “Fouls To Prevent Score,” it states, “The defense shall not commit successive or repeated fouls to prevent a score.” Further, the rule reads that “if the violation is repeated after a warning, the score involved is awarded to the offensive team.”

Hurts, as he inevitably does, scored a touchdown.

“It’s a great concept, great play, hard to stop,” Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “If I was them, I would run it, too.”

Oh, they do, on repeat: The Eagles were successful on 28 of 34 tush push attempts this season, according to Next Gen Stats. Overall, Hurts converted 35 of 43 attempts this year on third- or fourth-and-1 from anywhere on field, plus any other runs from the 1-yard line.

That’s the incredulous part — teams know the tush push is coming, fans at Lincoln Financial Field go wild when the Eagles line up in TP formation and yet defenses still can’t stop the score.

Just don’t tell Kansas City.

What trick do Chiefs think they have to stop tush push?

The Chiefs, who have mastered the art of everything from the improbable comeback win to defying the odds and the injuries that seem insurmountable en route to a third straight Super Bowl, might have unlocked the cheat code on stopping the tush push.

In the AFC title game, the Buffalo Bills converted only twice on six attempts with their tweaked version of the tush push. While the Eagles like to bunch together and push Hurts forward, the Bills and QB Josh Allen tend to lean left in their first-down attempts.

“(KC) put their big guys inside and their linebackers were coming downhill pretty hard,” Allen said after the game. “They played it well.”

Well enough to stop the Eagles?

The Eagles fell short to Kansas City 38-35 when they played each other in the Super Bowl two years ago, but it wasn’t because of the tush push. Hurts scored two touchdowns on the play against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl — and threw for 304 yards and accounted for four total TDs — and then used the play against the Chiefs in the 2023 season to score the winning touchdown.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose complicated defensive playbook and reliance on blitzes are a big reason why the team is back on the NFL’s biggest stage, has had at least two weeks to devise a scheme to stop Hurts.

“I think the Eagles have perfected this thing over however many years it’s been and that offensive line, I think they’re built for it,” Spagnuolo said. “They could take that O-line and win some rugby tournaments. They’re that big and physical and they’ve really perfected the way they do it. I think it’s really tough to stop.”

Those teams that can’t stop it start making excuses.

Consider, Green Bay president and CEO Mark Murphy wrote on the team’s website after the Packers were eliminated by the Eagles that the tush push is “ bad for the game.”

“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less,” Murphy wrote. “The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship Game to try to stop the play was ridiculous. … I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the run.”

Ban the tush push?

Sirianni can only scoff at critics who hate on the play.

“The success that we have is not always replicated around the entire league,” Sirianni said. “We saw it last week with the game plan we’re studying with Kansas City against Buffalo. Stopped them in a critical situation. I guess I’m lobbying to never change that rule because we’re successful at it. We’re successful at it because of the guys we have up front.”

The Eagles played to near push-perfection this season even after Cam Jurgens replaced the retired Jason Kelce at center. It helps having a quarterback who can squat the weight of about three Saquon Barkleys in Hurts and a stout offensive line that features Pro Bowl stars Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson.

Controversial or not, just maybe the Eagles can use the push to sneak away with a Super Bowl win.

We have just about made it through the winter to spring training, and Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen is content with the position player group after re-signing Randal Grichuk earlier this week.

That leaves pitching to address before the club takes the diamond at Chase Field on March 27, he explained.

“I think the offense, position player group is probably put together, barring trades happening,” Hazen said on Tuesday. “Things become available, or there’s ways to shift it around, but I kind of like the balance we have right now. … We’ll still stay focused on the pitching. We still have some work to do on the pitching, but we’ll see. It’s getting late, but we’ve done deals in the past in the next couple of weeks so hopefully there’s opportunities.

“I still think there’s enough in the market right now with teams with unfinished business and having to do stuff that could present some opportunities for us.”

Whether another move may come via trade or free agency is to be determined, he said.

The Diamondbacks have been open about wanting another back-end relief option this offseason and have yet to acquire one. The bullpen is largely intact from the 2024 roster besides former closer Paul Sewald, who signed with the Cleveland Guardians this winter.

Bryce Jarvis, Drey Jameson and Kyle Nelson each missed significant time last year on the injured list and may add depth to the group this year. Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson and Joe Mantiply are all still around.

Perhaps the trickier question is what happens in the starting rotation, considering the D-backs had a surplus going into the offseason and signed four-time All-Star ace Corbin Burnes.

The Diamondbacks have received calls throughout the winter on their starters but have held onto the group, including veteran Jordan Montgomery after a down year.

Burnes, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly will headline the rotation. Eduardo Rodriguez will look to rebound from an injury-plagued first year in the Valley. Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson are coming off promising seasons and then there’s Montgomery looking for a bounce back. A good problem to have still needs solving, but the club has time.

Opening Day is more than seven weeks away, and as Hazen pointed out, the Diamondbacks have made moves this late in the process before.

Montgomery feeling good

Speaking of Montgomery, Diamondbacks first-year pitching coach Brian Kaplan joined MLB Network on Sirius XM this week and presented an optimistic update on Montgomery this offseason. The veteran southpaw went through his worst MLB season in 2024 after waiting until spring training had ended before signing with the club. He opted into a $22.5 million player option for 2025 despite criticism from club managing partner Ken Kendrick.

Kaplan said Montgomery may have been burned by how his tenure in Arizona started after a disappointing free agency.

“I know that can sound like an excuse but some of the most important time of the year is that build-up in spring training into the early season,” Kaplan said. “I know a lot of that was disrupted by the negotiation process. And then he was just trying to fit into a new place.

“I think he’s comfortable in his skin right now. He’s had a really strong offseason. The communication I’ve had with him back and forth and some of the people he utilizes in the offseason to get him in the right spot has been really good. He feels good, some of the stuff I’ve gotten back from him is good.”

Brian Kaplan: “More than anything, it’s just getting off to a strong start, which was tough (for Jordan Montgomery) with the circumstances last year.”#DBacks | @Dbacks
🔗 pic.twitter.com/IvvUtyb67q

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 6, 2025

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo surprised Grichuk was available

Grichuk returned to the Diamondbacks on a one-year, $2 million contract with a mutual option and $3 million buyout for 2026, so essentially a $5 million deal.

The veteran outfielder thrived down the stretch last year while filling a role as a platoon bat against left-handed pitching. He finished with an .875 OPS and 12 homers.

Manager Torey Lovullo reacted to the re-addition while at the WM Phoenix Open Pro-Am this week.

“First of all, Randal had a tremendous year for us last year,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports‘ Tyler Drake. “I’m surprised that he didn’t sign a little quicker with another team, and the fact that he landed back on us is awesome for the D-backs. He had a great year, and I’m just thrilled to have him back in the fold. We’ve got a really good team. We’re not complete, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is surprised Randal Grichuk did not sign quicker or with another team.

“He had a great year, and I’m just thrilled to have him back in the fold.” pic.twitter.com/nrAeJJtSj8

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 5, 2025

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PHOENIX — We are better off not reviewing where the Phoenix Suns’ 135-127 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz lands on the spectrum between nearly disastrous loss and spirit-lifting win.

In the sixth sense we have developed watching this team the last two years, the Suns got their lead up to 13 with 6:05 to go. One more Suns bucket and stop would do it.

It sounds so easy. So simple.

And then, the Suns failed to get a bucket or stop for five straight possessions. It was suddenly Suns 111, Jazz 111 at 2:40 remaining.

An awful gamble by Phoenix guard Tyus Jones on a pass 35 feet away from the basket, one of dozens of Suns defensive gaffes on the night, set up a Utah tip dunk to put it ahead by two at 49 seconds left. After a Grayson Allen missed 3 (more on him in a minute) Isaiah Collier’s difficult midrange fallaway put the Jazz up four at four ticks left, all but sealing it.

But then Allen hit a 3 and Phoenix fouled quickly enough to put Utah’s Lauri Markkanen at the free throw line at 0.9 on the clock. Markkanen made both, a moment in which missing the second intentionally had some logic to it, even though Phoenix had a timeout. Devin Booker agreed he expected Markkanen to miss the second.

The rebound would have taken a few slivers off and not allowed Allen to set his feet in a direct re-creation of Rex Chapman’s infamous game-tying triple in the playoffs against the Seattle SuperSonics 28 years ago.

THERE WAS .9 ON THE CLOCK.

AND GRAYSON ALLEN HIT IT. pic.twitter.com/vVdES4O2rT

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 8, 2025

Opposite side of the floor, same spot.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, a Holbrook native who had Suns roots growing up, remembers that shot well.

“I told Rex that was like the carbon copy. … I see the picture in the dentist’s office when I go to the dentist,” Budenholzer said.

Booker knows his history.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah — that is it,” he confirmed, noting Chapman will surely show Allen the highlight on Saturday. Allen also knows that is coming.

Allen had much less time, 0.9 to 4.3, so it’s a delicate moment with lots of details that have to go perfectly.

“In that situation, since it’s a skip pass, it feels like there’s a lot of time of the ball in the air before it gets to your hands. … The first box you’re trying to check is feet behind the line,” Allen said. “And once you catch it, for a righty going to the right you kind of feel a little freer that the guy is not gonna block it and just get the shot off and trust it.”

You’ll notice that Allen doesn’t fully dip the ball back down in a traditional shooting motion, the type of no-dip 3 marksmen like him practice constantly. It’s a sped-up release. Allen confirmed to Arizona Sports that’s a lot of repetition paying off, noting how as a shooter you are aware of how long everything takes and the differences required when it’s, say, 2.5 seconds as opposed to one.

It was a lot more than just Allen too, the beauty in these types of plays.

Booker, of course, has made that type of assist of the screening variety at the buzzer before. He astutely pointed out to Arizona Sports he set the screen as well on the Valley-Oop in the 2021 Western Conference Finals. He also wisely pointed out at the podium that Royce O’Neale made an “excellent pass,” a la Jae Crowder’s fantastic feed to Deandre Ayton.

Utah, an awful team, predictably spiraled in the extra period to seal it.

Booker played all 29 minutes after halftime for 49 to post 47 points, six rebounds, 11 assists and four turnovers on 18-of-33 shooting. The Suns were without Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) and Bradley Beal (left great toe soreness), their first win in six tries while missing both of them. Phoenix hosts Denver the next night.

The Jazz, now 12-38, came into the evening with two total winning streaks on the year (if you want to count just two wins straight) and losing streaks of six, four, five, three, five, three and eight. The lack of knowing how to win that shows in that rundown sure shows when you watch them too.

Jordan Clarkson (left plantar fasciitis), Taylor Hendricks (right fibula fracture), Collin Sexton (left ankle sprain) and Cody Williams (left ankle sprain) were all out. Clarkson and Sexton each average over 15 points per game, Hendricks was a starter to begin the year and Williams was Utah’s top selection in this year’s draft.

The Jazz got there offensively with 25 offensive rebounds for 27 second-chance points, 21 of which came after the first half. They had 62 points in the paint to the Suns’ 30.

“We secure a few rebounds and that game is put away,” Booker said.

This was the latest damning Suns effort that felt like two evenly-matched teams against a far inferior opponent, and also had a nostalgic element to it. Booker in the first half was 8-of-12 for 22 points while his teammates combined to shoot 12-of-35 (34.3%) for the Suns to be tied at halftime. Utah got out to a 20-8 lead, full of botched rotations on defense and hardly any connectivity. The Jazz managed that 55-55 scoreline shooting 39.6%.

Utah extended a lead to four a bit into the third quarter when the rookie starting point guard Collier had his 13th assist already with 8:33 on the clock. Collier, an uber-talented prospect who slid to the end of the first round because of a subpar year at USC, was capitalizing on the lackluster team defense.

Phoenix scored 35 points in the second quarter and 40 in the next frame to lead by five, an indicting lack of a cushion that speaks to the defensive performance.

The separation grew to 13 at that aforementioned point before the wheels predictably fell off.

Budenholzer extended the rotation to 10, including point guard Monte Morris, wing/big Bol Bol and wing Damion Lee. Morris has mostly been out of it while Bol and Lee have hardly had any opportunities all year.

Morris has played well when he has gotten a chance while Bol and Lee in the last two seasons have had their moments providing a spark too. Bol had a good stretch at the end of the first half with a block, floater and 3 that earned him the first minutes off the bench in the second half. He finished with 12 points and three blocks in 24 minutes.

New acquisitions Cody Martin and Vasa Micic were out, with the Jusuf Nurkic trade just becoming official on Thursday night. Martin had missed Charlotte’s previous seven games due to a sports hernia, so he could be out quite a while longer.

While Utah is a giant team, things like rookie center Oso Ighodaro remaining out of the rotation will continue to be more and more puzzling as the year goes on. Mason Plumlee has been better the last few weeks but there is hardly a difference, if at all, to the quality of minutes, even with Plumlee knowing all the veteran ins and outs.

Phoenix drafted Ighodaro for a reason and is not your usual second-round pick. The Suns used legitimately valuable assets to them in order to select him and Ighodaro was a four-year player at Marquette, with a lot of his appeal being as an NBA-ready guy. He primarily switched in college on defense, so playing drop coverage has been an adjustment, but you know what will help him learn faster? Playing!

In an extension of that point, Plumlee bizarrely closed over Nick Richards, who produced 12 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in 23 minutes. He will also get better with the intricacies of his role if he can play in closing moments. Budenholzer attributed that to his own coaching feel and Plumlee being more familiar with the Suns’ system.

That is a small example of the type of mindset change the Suns should have with how they approach the next two months.

Allen took a charge from Utah big John Collins in the third quarter, and in the process, also took Collins’ head to his mouth. Allen needed a towel for his bleeding mouth after and went to the locker room for his tooth going up through his lip. He returned to end up with seven made 3s for 21 points to go along with seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block. His effort continues to stand out through the Suns’ lulls.

Allen joked afterward that the locker room was “not toxic at all” in celebration, alluding to the report of toxicity in the locker room that came on Thursday. He mentioned earlier that he felt the team was very connected throughout, especially at the end, the type of feeling we’ve mentioned in this space for a while that the Suns can build off through the sludge if there is consistency with it.

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PHOENIX (AP) — A former personal assistant to Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has filed a lawsuit against him, saying that she was verbally abused during her tenure with the club.

Brittany Neuheisel, who worked with the Cardinals from 2019 until last month, is represented by attorney Michael Caspino and the suit was filed on Thursday in the Superior Court of Maricopa County.

The suit claims constructive discharge, wrongful discharge, discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The 54-year-old Neuheisel claims that she was “continuously tormented for failing to disavow members of her own family and for refusing to participate in illegal conduct.” The suit also says that Bidwill wanted to replace Neuheisel with someone “young, beautiful and athletic.”

In another example, the suit claims that Bidwill demanded Neuheisel “provide false information” on federal and international disclosure forms relating to the owner’s travel on a private airplane. It also says that when Neuheisel would raise concerns about Bidwill’s requests, the owner would ridicule her Catholic faith, saying, “Do it and then go to confession!”

She is seeking a jury trial for unspecified damages.

The Cardinals responded to the lawsuit in a statement Friday.

“Earlier this week, the Cardinals received an email from a California-based plaintiff’s lawyer,” the statement said. “In it, he threatened to file a lawsuit unless the team agreed to his demand for a substantial amount of money by (5 p.m.) the next day.

“The team refused and the lawyer has now filed the Complaint. The Cardinals were surprised by and strongly deny the allegations made in this lawsuit and intend to defend the case on its merits in the appropriate forum.

“As this is now pending litigation, the team will refrain from further comment.”

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Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini on Thursday was critical of how men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley handled Saturday’s loss to Arizona, which included a late-game headbutt, players sent to the locker room ahead of the buzzer and postgame comments that the Wildcats won “with no class.”

“No, it’s not,” Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo if the actions were acceptable to him. “We talked about it right after the game, and I know a lot’s transpired since then. I think coach had a chance to reach out to his counterpart at U of A the next morning. I talked to their AD right after the game.

“I understand tensions are riding high and emotions are very heated in a game like that, not the ending that we were hoping for. But we gotta maintain sportsmanship. That was a miss, he admitted it, we admitted it on his behalf as well and we’ve tried to do our best to move beyond it and get ready for this weekend.”

Rossini reiterated Hurley’s biggest focus was preventing further postgame confrontations, which is what the coach told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday.

Is Bobby Hurley on the hot seat?

The athletic director said by being in the performance business, he’s always in an evaluation process that includes frequent conversations with Hurley.

“He and I have that conversation off and on, what are the missing pieces,” Rossini said. “He’s our coach and we want to support him as we’re in the middle of the season. We talked yesterday and said, ‘Hey, we just gotta exhale.’ We gotta make basketball fun again.”

Hurley, in his 10th season, has the Sun Devils (12-10, 3-8) on a five-game home losing streak and outside of the bubble for what would be his fourth NCAA tournament appearance at ASU, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

“It’s an expectation, it’s not a goal. It’s kind of one of those minimum requirements that we want to have tournament teams certainly in basketball, but in all of our sports,” Rossini said. “It’s my responsibility to look throughout the organization and figure out what are the pieces that we need to tweak and adjust and add to in order to have that kind of success. We’re not in this for participation trophies, we’re in this to win championships.

“And we gotta look hard at the reasons why we can’t be successful and look at those adjustments that need to be made, and there’s obviously a time and a place where we’re prepared to do that.”

Earlier this season, Hurley passed predecessor Herb Sendek for the second-most wins by an ASU coach (167-141, record-holder Ned Wulk was 405-273 from 1958-82).

ASU next plays in Stillwater against Oklahoma State (11-11, 3-8) on Sunday at noon MST.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The 2024 Phoenix Open was a lot like a house party where someone called the cops.

A cocktail of bad weather and booze led to mayhem at TPC Scottsdale a year ago, causing tournament officials to take the unprecedented step of closing the gates and — gasp! — cutting off alcohol sales.

To prevent a repeat performance, organizers have implemented a series of changes for this year’s event to reign in the revelry — well, as much as they can at the biggest bash on the PGA Tour.

“It’s a unique test because not only are you battling the golf course, but there can be a pretty hectic crowd out there,” said world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, a two-time winner at the Phoenix Open. “It’s something we don’t see as much throughout the year, but it’s really fun to come here and experience it.”

The Phoenix Open has long been the loudest, rowdiest event in golf. Up to 200,000 fans show up to TPC Scottsdale each day, ready to party — and maybe watch a little golf.

“The Greatest Show on Grass” always teeters on the edge of decorum and may have crossed the debauchery line in last year’s third round. Heavy rain led to multiple delays and turned non-playing areas of the course into a soggy mess as things got extra rowdy on a marathon Saturday.

The tension boiled over at times, with Billy Horschel and Zach Johnson yelling at unruly fans. To slow the tumultuous tide, tournament officials stopped letting fans inside in the afternoon because the course overcrowded and they cut off alcohol sales at certain locations.

The wild ride forced the tournament to make a few changes for this year’s tournament.

In addition to a stronger law enforcement presence, a new entrance will alleviate some of the muddy clogging that happened at the main gate last year. There also will no longer be any-day tickets so tournament officials can track sales and prevent overcrowding. Several walkways have been widened at high-traffic areas as well.

“They have tightened things up, but you don’t want to take away from what the tournament is,” said Gary Woodland, the 2018 Phoenix Open champion. “This tournament is crazy and we want it to be some good craziness.”

Nick Taylor has not only embraced the craziness, he’s played some of his best golf through it.

The 36-year-old Canadian finished second to Scheffler in 2023 and thrived through the stop-and-start 2024 tournament, beating Charley Hoffman in the second hole of a playoff.

Taylor couldn’t sustain the momentum, missing the cut in all four majors on his way to finishing 58th in the FedEx Cup standings. He finished 36th representing Team Canada at the Paris Olympics and didn’t make the Presidents Cup international team.

Taylor reassessed his game during the short offseason and made a few minor changes for 2025.

The extra work paid off.

Taylor chipped in from 60 feet for eagle on the closing hole at the Sony Open to tie Nico Echavarria and earned his fifth career PGA Tour victory with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff. He finished 12th in Palm Springs and was 33rd at Pebble Beach last week.

“I obviously have a lot of good vibes coming back here from the last two years,” said Taylor, who lives in the area and often practices at TPC Scottsdale. “I’ve played this golf course a bunch, so my game feels really good. (Not only) winning but having a couple weeks after that where just playing solid golf, I feel like I’m carrying that into here and a lot of good vibes when I come back.”

The Phoenix Open has vibes unlike any other stop on the PGA Tour. With a sunny weekend expected and some minor tweaks, it should get back to being the good kind.

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The plume of Kevin Durant trade smoke is growing more and more visible as the Phoenix Suns hurtle toward the trade deadline without a Bradley Beal-for-Jimmy Butler deal at this point.

Arizona Sports‘ John Gambadoro said on Wednesday that it is “definitely a possibility” the Suns trade Durant and get back Butler at the deadline. Such a deal would be complicated, and Durant has not asked to be traded.

The Suns and Warriors worked on a deal to send Durant back to Golden State, but him not wanting to return to there made that deal highly unlikely, Gambadoro said.

The latest from @Gambo987 on the Phoenix Suns as the trade deadline approaches. @WolfandLuke

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 5, 2025

The Warriors had been aggressive in their pursuits of the 15-time All-Star, and Gambadoro reported earlier this week they are not the only team that has called Phoenix about him.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick said on FanDuel’s Run it Back the Durant to Golden State situation “escalated quickly” on Tuesday night.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst added on Get Up that the Suns have entertained a Durant trade, reiterating Golden State’s interest in reuniting with the two-time NBA Finals MVP.

“I do not want to imply anything is going to happen,” Windhorst said. “I have no idea how you go back on this if it doesn’t work because now the world knows, the world does know the Warriors are trying to get KD back.”

According to The Athletic, Golden State had some frustration with the talks given Phoenix’s “exorbitant” asking price. Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga were listed as players Phoenix would be interested in.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer published a report that said Durant has “serious reservations” about another stint in Golden State. 

“There is a distinct sense percolating now that Durant does not want to be traded at all this week,” they wrote in The Stein Line. 

The Suns were not shopping Durant, by the way, but they’ve listened to offers.

The trade landscape is still very much evolving, as the Suns have been hyper focused on adding Butler from the Heat and struggling to get a deal done. Beal’s no-trade clause hampers Phoenix’s ability to do so considering his deal would be needed to pair Butler with Durant and Booker. The Heat are not interested in taking on Beal’s contract, which has another season plus a player option attached.

Durant has one more season under contract beyond this year with a cap hit of $54.7 million. Butler has a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26. Both players could be extended.

There is also a real chance Phoenix makes smaller moves around the edges without a dramatic restructuring of the roster.

The Suns enter Wednesday night’s game at the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 25-24 record. Durant is not expected to play due to a sprained left ankle.

Will the Suns trade Jusuf Nurkic?

Gambadoro said a trade sending out center Jusuf Nurkic for Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas has been discussed but only as part of a bigger deal.

Nurkic began the season as Phoenix’s starting center but has been removed from the rotation. He has not played since Jan. 7.

Valanciunas is a 32-year-old veteran big who averages 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season for the Wizards.

Could Devin Booker get moved?

Gambadoro and Windhorst were both clear that the Suns will not trade Devin Booker.

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Arizona State guard Adam Miller was ejected from Tuesday night’s basketball game against Kansas State after he was assessed a flagrant 2 foul after he reportedly slapped Wildcat guard Dug McDaniel.

Miller was ejected at the 7:54 mark of the second half while Arizona State trailed 53-49.

Miller could be seen on the broadcast exchanging words with McDaniel in the corner during a Wildcats possession.

ASU head coach Bobby Hurley on Adam Miller’s ejection during Tuesday’s loss to Kansas State:

“The emotions of the game got to him and that was part of that issue. He hasn’t done anything like that in my two years with him.” pic.twitter.com/ZzXLTnWKYx

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 5, 2025

“The emotions of the game got to him and that was part of that issue,” Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley said after the game. “He hasn’t done anything like that in my two years with him.”

ASU managed to come back without Miller to take a one-point lead with 3:38 left. ASU went on to lose the game, 71-70, after a pair of missed free throws in the waning seconds.

“From a statistical standpoint his ejection didn’t impact us,” Hurley said. “But, I thought we played fairly well in response to Adam going. Guys had a little more urgency.”

This is the second game in a row that an ASU player has been ejected. BJ Freeman was ejected after he headbutted Arizona’s Caleb Love on Saturday. Following the altercation, Hurley opted to skip the postgame handshake with Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and most of ASU’s players were sent away from the bench before the final buzzer went off.