Take a look at the simplest stat: The Phoenix Suns are 7-15 in games where the opponent shoots 10+ more free throws than they do.
As long as the Suns keep the FT battle within 10, their record is 30-18 (62%), a 51-win pace. But if the opponent can +10 them, the Suns win rate drops to 32%, which would mire them in the lottery.
Seems logical, but that’s quite a change from a year ago where they went 10-3 when they got +10’d by an opponent through 71 games. The year before, they were 8-6 in such games through 71.