Suns’ challenge now: Stay good, stay healthy

The Suns left downtown Phoenix Friday night with at least three reasons to be thankful.

They completed a season sweep of the Jazz and moved into a tie with Utah for the best record in the Western Conference.

Three weeks before the start of the playoffs, they are healthy.

And by the time they showered and dressed, the Suns probably avoided traffic in downtown Phoenix, which apparently took advantage of a pandemic clearance sale on barricades and “Road Closed” signs.

Good health trumps all, but it’s especially enjoyable when you are 45-18 and have clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 11 years.

The challenge over the last nine regular-season games is to stay that way: both healthy and good.

It’s not an easy balance to achieve. Not with a young team in a groove. Not with a 35-year-old point guard who does not want his load managed. Not with the capricious nature of injuries.

“I’m mindful of the bumps and bruises,” Coach Monty Williams said. “But we have a tough group. Nobody is going to be fresh in May and June and July. You’re going to have to will yourself through some tough games.”

It’s the right decision by Williams. And it’s wise to trust his judgment given the Suns were 19-63 the season before he arrived.

There are risks, however, and there were reminders Friday night of how delicate optimism for a deep playoff run is.

Utah, with the NBA’s best record most of the season, played without its starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, who are injured, and have lost four of its last seven.

A few minutes into the game, Suns center Deandre Ayton came out of the game grabbing his left shoulder, which probably made Suns clutch their hearts. It apparently is something that has bothered Ayton off and on since a collision against Dallas in January.

Ayton wasn’t on the bench long before making eye contact with Williams and asking to return. Williams obliged.

Then, just before the half ended guard Devin Booker collided awkwardly with Utah’s Joe Ingles. Booker limped to the locker room but played in the second half.

The 6,000 or so inside the Phoenix Suns Arena probably breathed sighs of relief into their masks.

The Suns have enjoyed good fortune this season when it comes to health. Jae Crowder, a starter, is expected back from an ankle injury. Booker’s only missed four games. Ayton has played in every one, and Paul has missed only one.

What they have, too, is a level of camaraderie that’s unusual in professional sports. You can see that not only in the unselfish way the Suns play, but also in the way the bench reacts when Mikal Bridges makes a three-pointer, or Booker has Jazz center Rudy Gobert flailing to guard him.

“That’s half the reason I want to make the shot, to celebrate with my teammates,” Bridges said. “I know they are going to get hyped up over there. It shows how close we are.”

You can see that, too, when Paul is out of the game. Instead of sitting, he spends a good portion of the time on the baseline, hands on knees, even when the action is on the other end. He observes, cheers and advises.

This might not work with a team filled with veterans who have heard and seen it all. But it works with this team, which is filled with players a decade younger.

“That’s Chris Paul, man,” said Booker, who at 24, is 11 years younger than Paul. “That all stems from wanting to be the best. You can see he’s in the pursuit of that, every single day. It’s contagious. It’s inspiring at the same time.”

With nine games left in the regular season, the Suns are in a good place, both in the standings and mentally. Williams is wise not to tinker with that by managing minutes and altering roles.

That would be like searching for an alternate way of navigating downtown Phoenix streets after you’ve found a route that works.