There is no doubt the Phoenix Suns are playing fantastic basketball right now, and the level of competition has not mattered. They have beaten the defending champions. They have taken down the Lakers. They have handled the games they were expected to handle against teams like the Grizzlies and the Wizards. Since December 23, no team in the NBA owns a better record than Phoenix. They are 9–2 over their last 11 games, stretching back to the days leading into Christmas.
There are plenty of ways to explain why this run is happening, and most of them are valid. Start with the defense. Phoenix owns a league-best 107.3 defensive rating over this stretch. Add in the activity, 8.8 steals per game, eighth best in the NBA, and a team that is constantly poking at the margins of possessions. On the other end, they are knocking down 15.3 threes per night, sixth most in the league during that span.
This has been the identity all season. Aggressive. Physical. Hands everywhere. Sometimes it bites them, but more often it breaks opponents. Phoenix wants to disrupt your rhythm, force you to think, force you to work. And if you lose focus for a second, they will take something from you. That is why teams hate playing them right now.
There is something else happening here that is worth paying attention to.
Earlier this season, I pointed out that the league felt out of whack when it came to whistles. Through December 22, teams were averaging 24.7 free throw attempts per game and committing 21 fouls a night. Last season, those numbers were 21.7 free throws and 18.6 fouls. That is a meaningful jump.
If the league ever course-corrects, that favors Phoenix. This is an aggressive team. They live in the gray. A loser whistle creates opportunity for them.
And that correction is showing up.
Since December 23, teams are down to 22.4 free throws per game and 19.2 fouls. Officials are letting more go. During this stretch, the Suns are averaging 20.5 fouls per game, seventh most in the league. Earlier in the season, during their 15–13 start, they were getting tagged for 22.3 a night. Less whistle, more flow, more Suns basketball.
You might not think this gap is all that meaningful. On its own, it feels small. Stretch it out over time and it becomes real points and real opportunities. Through December 23, teams were averaging 19.4 made free throws per night. Since then, that number has dropped to 17.7. That is nearly a two-point swing every game.
And yes, I can already hear it. “Two points? Who cares?” How many NBA games come down to one possession? How many seasons hinge on someone stepping to the line and making or missing? That adds up fast.
What matters to me is that the thing I was hoping for appears to be happening. The league is easing off the punitive whistle. Phoenix benefits from that. Is it the only reason they are winning? No. The schedule has softened, and the team is taking advantage of that. But is it a factor worth watching? Absolutely.
Look at Oklahoma City last week. Shai Gilgeous Alexander lives on contact. He hunts it, leans into it, and still gets a clean look. He took 9 free throws in the Suns’ 108-105 win. Give him four more, and maybe we would be having a different conversation. Through December 22, he averaged 9.4 attempts. Since then, it is 8.6. Why? Because the league is realizing nobody tunes in to watch a free-throw competition. Physicality is part of the game. And physicality is something this Suns team has in spades.
This is not smoke and mirrors, and it is not a heater built on luck. The Suns are winning because their identity finally lines up with the way the game is being officiated and played. Defense, pressure, ball movement, and controlled chaos are no longer being punished the way they were in November. Phoenix lives in that space. Fewer whistles mean more flow, and more flow means the Suns can squeeze you possession by possession.
If this version of basketball holds, this run is not a blip. It is a warning.