Baynes’ Suns slip up
ARON Baynes’ resurgent Phoenix Suns have proved no match for his former team, the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.
The Suns lost star point guard Ricky Rubio to back spasms shortly beforehand, then lost their match 99-85 in Phoenix yesterday. Off-season recruit Baynes started against his ex-teammates and managed nine points with five assists and six rebounds.
Boston (11-2) had a 10-game winning streak snapped on Sunday by the Sacramento Kings but bounced back with a relatively easy road victory as Jayson Tatum scored 26 points and Kemba Walker added 19.
Phoenix (7-5) never looked comfortable in offence without classy Spaniard Rubio pulling the strings, relying on individual plays instead of its usual crisp ball movement.
Rubio, who had doubledoubles in four of his past five games, is averaging 13.6 points, 8.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds.
Phoenix shot just 40 per cent from the field, including 28 per cent from 3-point range to produce its lowest-scoring game of the season.
Julius Randle scored 13 of his game-high 30 points during a pivotal first-quarter run for the New York Knicks, who never trailed in a 123-105 win over Matthew Dellavedova’s Cleveland Cavaliers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 115-101.
James Harden has been scoring at such a prolific rate that his 36-point effort in Houston’s 132-108 rout of Portland night caused his average to dip. Harden, who has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games, had six rebounds, five assists and a steal.