What Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns are proving with a quick 4-1 start

On November 1, 2024By Littum

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Things got off to a scary start for them Phoenix Suns on Thursday’s Halloween night inside the new $2-billion Intuit Dome at the corner of Prairie Avenue and West Century Boulevard.

Awful. Phoenix trailed by 18 points at halftime and by as many as 21 early in the second half.

Then the Suns rose from the dead and gave the Clippers a nightmare of 3s in their 125-119 comeback thriller in front of a shaken crowd of 16,827.

Devin Booker played the role of Grim Reaper as the Clippers scored a season-high 40 points, while Royce O’Neale delivered a career-high 21 points, hitting 5-of-6 from 3 with the last a dagger to put Phoenix up. up, 118-112, with 44.7 seconds left.

The Suns (4-1) went 18-of-39 from 3 and hit 7-of-11 from distance in the third quarter to tie the game after trailing by just two entering the fourth.

This is Phoenix’s second double-digit comeback in a row. The Suns trailed the Los Angeles Lakers by 18 points in the first quarter at home on Monday before responding and avenging their only loss of the season, 109-105.

Kevin Durant had 18 points Thursday and rookie Ryan Dunn had 16 points in his second career start for Bradley Beal, who sat out with a right elbow sprain. Jusuf Nurkic added 11 points with nine after the break, while Tyus Jones dished out 11 assists to just one turnover along with seven points.

James Harden paced the Clippers (2-3) with a triple-double of 25 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Los Angeles is still without Kawhi Leonard, who remains on the sidelines as he recovers from knee inflammation.

Norman Powell scored 23 points and Ivica Zubac had a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost to the Suns twice in just five games.

Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s rematch. The Suns begin a three-game homestand Saturday against Portland, which defeated the Clippers Wednesday, 106-105.

The sun again reacts to slow start

The Suns took a step back defensively against the Clippers in the first half after limiting Dallas to 39.8% shooting and the Lakers to 41.5% shooting.

The Clippers shot 54% in the first half and went 7-of-18 from 3 in building a 70-52 halftime lead.

Phoenix didn’t close on 3s, failed to get back on defense or over screens and didn’t stay connected to the man with the ball. The same problems the Suns had in the preseason resurfaced.

They tightened up a bit in the third quarter, but really got back into the game with the help of the 3. Their ball movement and drive-and-kick were in full swing in the second half.

They are also cutting down on their turnover. Had four in the first quarter. Finished with only 12.

The Suns still had trouble keeping the Clippers out of the paint, hence the 60 points they allowed inside, but the Suns busied themselves tracking down loose balls, led by Dunn in the second half.

The truth is, the Clippers don’t have enough firepower to really put teams away. Harden is doing everything he can. The Clippers play hard, aggressive and physical, but need Leonard to have any chance to compete for a playoff spot.

Budenholzer’s rotations

Mike Budenholzer has said he wants guys to give maximum effort to explain his rotation style that has led to, e.g. Booker exited the game midway through the first quarter. Booker admits he has to adjust to this in-and-out, but Budenholzer did the same with Giannis Antetokounmpo when he worked out in Milwaukee.

This goes back even further to his first head coaching job in Atlanta. Durant said Budenholzer established this style of rotation from Day 1 after giving this coaching staff early props.

“I feel like we have a deep team, guys that have been around before,” Durant said. “Understand what it takes. We have a veteran coaching staff that understands adjustments and schemes, how to use the bench, the whole team.”

Just a reminder. Frank Vogel coached the Suns last season and was a one-and-done.

Durant is playing the most minutes because Budenholzer has used him at the five, but could rookie Oso Ighodaro work at the five with Durant at the four? The big rookie saw action there Thursday after being the four with Nurkic and Mason Plumlee.

Some of this is Budenholzer’s style, but also adjustments in the game. He had Dunn replace Booker late in the first quarter on a defensive possession.

Nurkic again had a rough start. In response, Budenholzer took him off after nine minutes of play and did not play him for the remainder of the first half.

More complete team, better vibes

The Suns are above the second tax apron, which has them paying a gazillion dollars in luxury taxes (an estimated $188.4 million to be far more precise) and limits their roster flexibility.

They have the NBA’s highest payroll with Booker, Durant and Beal owed a combined $150 million this season, but the offseason moves general manager James Jones made look better from the win.

The draft picks – Dunn and Ighodaro – deliver with production and energy, two things the Suns needed, especially the latter.

The re-signing of O’Neale costs them in luxury tax, but he defends, creates hustle – and is on fire from 3 of 7-of-10 in his last two games.

Their main offseason addition — true point guard Tyus Jones — is exactly what the Suns needed. Someone who can cover the table but also play the ball away when Booker or Durant initiate the offense.

Plumlee and backup point guard Monte Morris have been welcomed to play their roles. This team is winning without the same production that Grayson Allen gave last year.

Now, Booker, going for 40, helps offset any malaise they exhibited Thursday night. They still need to slow down the slow starts, defend better and see the turnovers.

The Suns are still a work in progress and lack size, but guess what, they know it. The next step for them is to play like they did against Dallas in back-to-back games. They followed up perhaps their best win of the season with two subpar starts against the Lakers and at the Clippers.

Phoenix has only played five games. But the Suns have only lost once, and that was after blowing a 22-point lead to the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

They are better than a season ago. How much better is still in doubt, but they have proven to be a more complete team early in 2024-25.

Maybe Charles Barkley is right. Maybe his soles are better.

Do you have opinions about the current state of the sun? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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