Suns roll minus injured Paul, top seed in sight
SACRAMENTO – The Phoenix Suns were up 13 points at the half Friday night over the playoff bound Chicago Bulls after shooting 52.3% from the field – and Devin Booker was far from satisfied.
“Book looked at me, I think, going into the third like, 'Hey, we've got to show these dudes they can't compete with us,’” Suns center Deandre Ayton said. “‘We're getting ready for the playoffs. Let's not play the scoreboard.' It brought in a different drive."
The Suns (57-14) proceeded to show why they have the NBA’s best record as they went up by as many as 33 points in their 129-102 blitzing at Footprint Center – and left a lasting impression on the Bulls (41-29).
Booker and Ayton combined for 48 points for the game as the Suns shot 58.5% in the second half.
“You shake that team’s hand that’s over there,” Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan said. ”They just came off a finals.
They’ve been together. We're a team that's trying to strive to be like them."
Without starters Chris Paul (fractured right thumb) and Jae Crowder (sore left groin) and sixth man Cam Johnson (right quad contusion), the Suns take a fourgame winning streak into Sunday’s game at Sacramento (25-47).
Paul and Johnson are listed as out while Crowder is questionable as he’s missed Phoenix’s last two games.
“It’s tough for me to sit out,” Crowder said before Friday’s win. “I like to be out there. I like to earn my check. I like to play. I love the game. I love to compete.”
The Suns are 9-4 without Paul during this stretch.
“We know how talented this team is and we always pride ourselves on that,” Booker said. “I always say nobody can replace what Chris does out there. We know how much we're going to need him when it comes into this playoff run, but in the meantime, we're just trying to hold it down."
With 11 games remaining, the Suns have some key milestones on the table.
They’re three wins away from wrapping up the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs and becoming the fourth team in franchise history to reach 60 wins.
“We see that 60 number close,” Booker said. “So that’s definitely a motivation for us.”
The Suns are also six victories shy of setting the franchise record for wins in a single season. The 1992-93 team and 2004-05 squad each went 62-20.
While the Suns are surging, the Kings are on the complete opposite end of the NBA spectrum.
Losers of seven of their last 10 games, the Kings (25-47) are coming off a 126-97 loss Friday to Boston (43-28) as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 62 points.
The Kings lost by 29 despite Domantas Sabonis posting a monster doubledouble of 30 points and 20 rebounds.
Sacramento was without point guard De’Aaron Fox (right hand), who is ruled day-to-day.
The Kings alwithout big Richaun Holmes, who will miss the remainder of the regular season due to personal reasons.