Suns look to learn from close call at Kings
Suns coach Monty Williams was displeased about how they finished their fifth consecutive win Monday night at Sacramento.
Phoenix nearly squandered a 24point, second-half in edging the Kings, 109-104.
“It was just poor,” Williams said after the game. “The execution. The second unit has to do a much better job of maintaining and to expect the starters to come in and save us in moments like that, that’s a pretty tough assignment when a team is rolling like that.”
The Suns turned the ball over seven times and shot a collapsing 4-of-19 from the field in the fourth quarter. This was after taking a 98-74 lead late in the third as they outscored the Kings, 31-12, in the quarter.
“We just kind of got careless,” said Suns backup point guard Cameron Payne, who tied his career high with 24 points, but committed three of those seven turnovers in the fourth. “I feel like our guys were just a little fatigued, but we’ve got to be able to fight through that until the media timeout. We’ve just got to be better.”
With that close call behind them, Phoenix (6-3) will face Portland on Wednesday at Footprint Center before going on a three-game road trip with games against Memphis, Houston and Minnesota.
The Blazers destroyed the Suns by 29 points last month in Portland.
“We just have to be better,” Williams said. “I told our guys that. Feel kind of funky about a win like this but we’re not giving it back. We’ve got to learn from it.”
The Suns will once again be without starting big Deandre Ayton, who has missed three games with a right lower leg contusion.
Phoenix is 3-0 in those games as JaVale McGee has started in place of Ayton and Frank Kaminsky has served as his backup.
The Suns may also be without Landry Shamet, who is listed as doubtful with a right foot contusion.
Phoenix went to Sacramento looking to avenge a home loss last month to the Kings on a Harrison Barnes 3 at the buzzer. In the rematch, Barnes scored a game-high 26 points and appeared to have earned a chance to pull the Kings within two with 1:12 left.
Barnes scored in transition on Devin Booker, who was called for a block on the play, but Williams challenged the call.
“We go through our process of trying to get the clip and seeing it as many times as we can,’ Williams said. “(Lead assistant) Kevin Young did a really good job. Players always feel like they didn’t commit the crime, but Book was pretty adamant. Kevin gave me the look. In that moment, you almost have to do it to change the momentum, maybe, because you’re going to use the timeout anyway with two.”
After the review, the challenge was ruled successful.
The ruling not only nullified the basket to keep the Suns up five points, 107102, but took away Barnes’ opportunity for a free throw to make the difference two.
“You never know to be completely honest,” said Booker when asked if he though the challenge would be successful. “I thought I got my two feet down. Thought I was pretty still. Watching the replay, I think it was definitely a charge.”
Then after Booker, a career 87% free throw shooter, missed two free throws later in the game, the Kings had a chance to tie it with a 3, but turned the ball over with 4.6 seconds left.
“They slipped to the rim, (but) we weren’t trying to give up any 3s,” Booker said as the inbounds pass initially went off Chimezie Metu’s hands.
As Metu tried to retrieve it, Booker competed in the corner of the court for the ball that was ruled off Metu.
“He mishandled it a little bit,” Booker continued. “I hit it and (Metu) hit it out of bounds. It was an obvious call.”
Chris Paul was then fouled on the ensuing Suns inbounds and hit both free throws to make the final difference in the game.
“You can take your lessons in a win, but we just have to learn how to put teams away,” Booker said. “We’ve had multiple opportunities this year to step on teams and get the game over with and failed to do so. That’s a point of emphasis for us moving forward.”