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The Phoenix Suns have lost 5 of their last eight games dating back to December 4, two of those losses coming against New Orleans, and superstar shooting guard Devin Booker looked to lead the Suns in getting revenge against the rival Pelicans.
Mark J. Rebilas, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
This Phoenix Suns season has been highly chaotic so far, this Suns squad has moments where they look like they’re among the best 4-5 teams in the league, and then at other times, they look like they will be lucky even to make the Western Conference play in.
The Suns, for whatever reason, can’t seem to find consistency, and fans are unsure who to blame. Should it be head coach Monty Williams who seems to have a vendetta against star center Deandre Ayton, or general manager James Jones, who put this lackluster team together?
The Suns’ season looked to be spiraling, but they were able to hemorrhage the bleeding out season, with a 111-95 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, on Thursday, December 15. However, the Suns got this victory without facing the two best Clippers players, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard.
On Saturday the 17th, the Suns would be tested against their rivals, the New Orleans Pelicans. During this recent Suns skid, the Pelicans beat them twice, the first of which ended in a benches-clearing altercation between the teams. The second was an overtime thriller in New Orleans, as the Pelicans won 129-124.
26-year-old, superstar shooting guard Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, missed that overtime thriller and came back with a vengeance in Phoenix.
With the Suns missing starting center Deandre Ayton and sixth-man guard Cameron Payne, Phoenix would need a hero to beat the scrappy Pelicans, and it was Devin Booker who changed in the phone booth.
Booker scored an astounding 58 points in the Suns’ 118-114 win against New Orleans. The Suns have won two straight games and are looking to build momentum as we quickly approach the midway point of the 2022-23 NBA season.
This season’s series has gotten personal, and the Suns have shown why they played in the 2021 NBA Finals. The toughness I whined about them not having my piece last week was on display tonight (goes to show what I know).
The Suns were trailing the Pelicans by 17 points in the third quarter and rallied back to take the lead with a little over4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. At this point in the game, Booker had an astounding 57 points, and role players like centers Bismack Biyombo and Joc Landale started to play harder. The Pelicans made mistakes, and the Suns capitalized.
Usually, I write by using statistics to prove whatever point I’m trying to make. However, stats cannot quantify the effort the Suns’ bench unit was playing with. Josh Okogie, in particular, stepped up his game and had a few crucial offensive rebounds with about two and a half minutes left.
With 1:29 left in the 4th, starting Suns small forward Mikal Bridges had a significant stop on star pelicans guard CJ McCollum in the painted area. Bridges was able to stop the Pelicans’ momentum and allow both teams to reset with the jump ball.
Following CP3’s clutch, trey was pandemonium. Chris Paul hit a crucial three-pointer with one minute left in the 4th. Bridges got a clutch block on the other end, and the Suns got possession.
The Suns had a 116 – 112 lead with 18.3 left in regulation. The Suns inbounded the ball with Chris Paul with 13.8 seconds left. Paul hit 1/2 of his free throws giving the Suns a 118-114 lead and sealing the game.
The Suns showed that they could come back against a good team without two crucial players, Deandre Ayton and Cameron Payne, especially with how Ayton has played well against the Pelicans this season. Ayton has averaged 19 points, 8.66 rebounds, and 2.33 assists, in his three games against New Orleans, including a game where he left after only 8 minutes.
The Suns’ bench players, who I have often criticized, proved me wrong, and as a Suns fan, I could not be more stoked! Backup shooting guard Josh Okogie stepped up big time, having six rebounds late in the game, 4 of which were on the offensive end, to get the Suns back in the game. Every team needs fire off the bench, and Okogie, provided the heat for Phoenix tonight.
This Suns team often plays without passion or urgency, but not tonight. Devin Booker carried the battle flag, and the Suns charged with him. Booker shot 21-35 from the field and 6-12 from three-point land. Booker also did a good job getting the Pelicans in foul trouble, as he shot 15 free throws, making 10. Booker had a modest five rebounds and five assists to go with his 58-point classic.
Not all Suns played exceptionally well; starting power forward Torrey Craig put up 0 points in 20 minutes and had a -10 plus-minus, meaning the Suns scored ten fewer points than the Pelicans while Craig was out there. In defense of the 8-year veteran, Craig only had three shots and four assists. Since Cam Johnson got hurt earlier in the season, the starting power forward position has been a precise hole for the Suns, but if the other cogs in the machine work fine, it is manageable. That does not mean James Jones should not prioritize finding a solution to the Jae Crowder problem; it just means the Suns can win despite that issue.
Moving forward, the Suns will look to continue their winning streak against the Lakers on Monday night at home. The 12-16 Lakers are undoubtedly beatable and should be an exciting game; as of the time of my writing this, there is no news on Deandre Ayton or Cameron Payne’s returns. The Suns can continue this high level of play until they return.
This Suns team showed why they are still championship contenders; despite being in a slump, when they get hit, they strike back, they do not roll over or play down to their competition, and they have the passion that championship contenders need to have.
