Suns' 'embarrassing' 25-point loss sent them packing and out of the playoffs.

In Phoenix The Phoenix Suns were humiliatingly eliminated at home for the second consecutive season.

Phoenix's 125-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night was uncannily identical to the Dallas Mavericks' resounding victory in Game 7 of the same series at Footprint Center.

Even the 30-point deficit at the break was the same. So was the response from Suns supporters, who were heard booing loudly at the break and streaming out of the stadium with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter.

"It sucked," said Kevin Durant, whose acquisition in a midseason trade turned the Suns into the Western Conference's betting favorite. It was unpleasant. Embarrassing."

Devin Booker made a very atypical action for the face of the Suns' franchise by leaving the arena without addressing the media.

This postseason, Booker averaged 33.7 points but struggled as the Suns were eliminated. His 12-point performance on 4-of-13 shooting was eerily similar to his poor performance in the Mavs' elimination defeat from the previous season (11 points, 3-of-14 shooting).

According to ESPN Stats & Information analysis, the Suns, who were playing without stars Chris Paul (groin) and Deandre Ayton (ribs), were the third NBA team to be eliminated from the playoffs in consecutive seasons after suffering defeats of 25 points or more.

Although Suns coach Monty Williams recognized that it is a "bad feeling" to lose by lopsided scores in back-to-back seasons, he minimized the connection between the lopsided defeats.

It's really two distinct groups, Williams added. The team from last year differed greatly from the one from this year. The club from the previous season was more known for their body and ball movement. We're more pick-and-roll and iso-oriented this year, so there are essentially two separate scenarios. We must look at that to determine the types of player combinations that would best suit the desired playing style. But 20 minutes after a defeat, it can be difficult to analyze those kinds of things.

The two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the top-seeded Nuggets received high accolades from Durant, who struggled in the series by his usual standards. He scored 29.5 points on average but only shot 45.3% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc. In Game 6, he finished with 23 points on 8 of 19 shooting.

Due to injuries, Durant was only able to play in eight regular-season games with the Suns. He stated that he didn't want to "provide context" that may be taken as a justification.

Next year, we simply need to improve, Durant said. "It's difficult to predict what the future may bring for our team right now, but we have a solid foundation and infrastructure. This is a foundation upon which we may expand, progress, and improve. We'll understand that a little bit better once the summer and offseason begin.