● After back-to-back split, Suns prepare for rematch with Knicks,
The Phoenix Suns have maintained the same mindset all season of focusing on themselves.
The opposition must deal with them, not the other way around.
“It’s been pretty good for us so All-Star Devin Booker said.
It certainly has.
With the NBA’s second-best record and a top-six playoff spot secured, Phoenix (47-19) is vying for the top seed in the West. The Suns are just a game behind Utah (48-18), own the tiebreaker, but are coming off their worst loss of the season Wednesday night.
Atlanta 135. Phoenix 103.
Ouch.
“We were a little tired, they got off to a really good start and we fought like heck until I pulled the plug,” said Suns coach Monty Williams, who pulled the starters with 8:02 remaining and Phoenix down 25 points. It was the second of a back-toback after an overtime win Tuesday night at Cleveland, but Phoenix surrendered a season-high in points for a game and quarter (42 in the first).
The Hawks (37-30) shot 63.1% from the field, going 13-of-26 from 3 against the NBA’s fifth-best defense in snapping Phoenix’s five-game winning streak.
“They have a lot of players out there,” Booker said. “They space the floor well. They have dynamic rollers and great spacing and they have shooters and they have playmakers. That’s a recipe for a really good team.”
‘We’re not ducking any competition’
far,”
The Suns have shown the ability to bounce back from defeat, as evidenced by them only losing consecutive games three times this season (two of those were part of a three-game skid):
● Jan. 22-27: 130-126 OT vs. Denver, 120-112 2OT vs. Denver, 102-97 vs. Oklahoma City.
● April 22-25: at Brooklyn.
Coming off a three-game road trip that started with close wins against sub-500 teams and ended in a 32-point defeat, Phoenix will look to regroup and respond again Friday night against New York (37-29), a team it beat just last month after trailing by 15 points.
This is the first of a four-game stretch in which the Suns play the Knicks at home, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State on the road, and Portland in its final regularseason home game May 13.
99-86 at Boston, 128119
“We’re looking forward to these matchups,” Booker said. “We’re looking forward to playing any team. We’re not ducking any competition.”
Here’s a revisit of their eighth backto-back in the second half of this shortened 72-game regular season and ahead to a much-anticipated rematch against the Knicks.
Player of Tuesday’s game: Mikal Bridges
Booker posted the third of his four consecutive 30-point games with a 31point effort
Fellow All-Star Chris Paul had 23 points, 16 assists to zero turnovers, four steals and two blocks just days before his 36th birthday Friday.
No wonder he’s an MVP candidate. Deandre Ayton bounced back from his five-point effort in Sunday’s win at Oklahoma City with 15 points and five blocks while Cam Johnson had the highlight of the night with a reverse, twohanded dunk over shot blocker Jarrett Allen in overtime.
Before that jaw-dropping play, Bridges took over like Jay-Z back in 2001.
He scored eight of his 22 points during Phoenix’s 15-0 run to start overtime in the 134-118 victory. He had a say in every point of the run as his two blocks led to transition baskets for Booker and Paul and he assisted on Johnson’s corner 3.
And this was all in reaction to rookie Isaac Okoro scoring on him with 24.9 seconds left to force overtime.
“Kind of took that to heart,” Bridges said.
He certainly did.
Player of Wednesday’s game: Devin Booker
Booker closed out the road trip with 30 points in 32 minutes, but found himself leading a charge against a team that was on fire in the Hawks.
So the Suns needed to either defend better or score more.
They did neither and as a result suffered their worst loss of the season.
Bridges had 18 points, but was the only other Phoenix player to reach double figures.
Paul shot 3-of-11 for just nine points. Ayton managed just four shot attempts in finishing with seven points. He went scoreless in the second half on 0for-1 shooting in 8 minutes, 26 seconds of play.
Another example of how important his role is on this team.
The Suns are still without Jae Crowder, who has missed Phoenix’s last eight games with a right ankle sprain.
“There’s no new updates,” Williams said. “We hope to get him back here soon. When we get back home, I’m sure we’ll re-evaluate that situation.”
Crowder has been missed, but he had the shortest offseason of anyone on the team as he helped Miami reach the 2020 NBA finals in the bubble.
Extra time off may prove to be beneficial for him.
‘We look forward to coming out on top’
Their last matchup was classic with Paul closing the show at Madison Square Garden.
The 16-year veteran scored Phoenix’s last seven points in a 118-110 comeback win over the Knicks on April 26 at Madison Square Garden. It was the second of a back-to-back to snap a two-game losing skid and cap a five-game road trip out East with a 3-2 run.
Now the Knicks get another shot at Phoenix within a two-week span.
“We’re confident,” said Knicks AllStar forward Julius Randle. “We’re confident going into it and we look forward to the challenge. It’s just another notch on our belt to test where we’re at. We’re confident. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a great challenge again and we look forward to coming out on top.”
Nerlens Noel said the Knicks have had Friday’s game “circled” on their calendar.
“We know we let one slip in New York, but we want to come in with the aggression that we need,” Noel said.
“Throw the first punch and play a full 48 minutes of basketball that we know we can do.”