The Phoenix Suns are only the second team with 40 wins and now stand at 40-15 on the season. They line up on a ten-game winning streak after beating the Sacramento Kings 122-114 on Thursday night.
With each win, the Suns are closer to the elusive playoff spot they’ve been chasing for a decade, now putting just one win behind the Utah Jazz (41-14) for the best record in the entire league.
The Suns 40-15 record is their best record after 55 games since the peak of the Nash / Amare / Marion days (42-13 in 2007).
In this one, the three big weather was great. Devin Booker had 23 points and 4 assists, Chris Paul had 13 and 11 with 3 steals, and Deandre Ayton had a great big game with 26 points (10-11 FGs, 6-6 FTs), 11 rebounds and ‘ a block. Off the bench, Jevon Carter was the player of the match with 13 points.
But the game was not a runaway, despite the Kings penetrating a losing streak of 8 games. The Suns once again played to their low competition and tried to score just too much to lose. It has worked against several bad teams recently, but despite a losing streak of 8 games, the Kings are better than some of the teams. And they came to play and shot 55% for the game, including 47% on tries.
But the Suns were just getting better in the end, especially in the clutch, and pulled away after the 122-114 victory.
How it happened
The Suns came out hot and launched tries as if it would expire at midnight. 10 of their first 14 shots were from long range (they made 6) to lead 24-17. Booker made 3 of 6 in that team.
But the Kings mostly kept pace in this lazy, non-physical game, and were only 26-22 lower when the Suns asked for a time-out to refocus. The Kings started old friend Damian Jones at midfield, but it was Hassan Whiteside off the bench who grabbed 6 rebounds and scored 6 quick points in his first six quarter-minutes.
The Suns are up 33-28 as they especially run through the game like Monday against the Houston Rockets. Will the Suns last? Most likely. But it will not be an eruption.
In the second quarter, both teams increased the heat while blowing cold air at the defensive temperature. Seems to me like a pre-season atmosphere.
At halftime, the Suns were only 67-65 higher because they had the Kings shoot 57% off the field, including 55% on tries. Wut.
Second half
The Kings and Suns just kept making basket after basket. Both teams are top-11 in attack, so I think I can understand that. But then I remember that the Kings are godly in defense, while the Suns are supposed to be good. Get started with it, Suns.
In the middle of third place, the Suns pulled away a bit with consecutive knockouts from Kings (84-77), but the Kings just did not want to go away and fell back to 86-84 in an ambiguity.
And again, DA does not get calls. He was thrown to the edge several times, but nothing was called. His goal out of season is to learn how to sell offenses.
The Suns were 95-94 higher at first, because … well, they just were not interested in playing defense. How else do you explain the 62% shooting, but only one point?
The fourth quarter stayed super-close, but suddenly the game started to change. The Suns second unit, along with Chris Paul in its usual early fourth period, decided to play aggressively, force turnover and drive to the edge. But they stopped making tries, so the game stayed close anyway.
Jevon Carter was playing big plays in this game, at this point up to 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal to help the Suns lead 105-99.
Still, the Kings will not go away, and they pull back to 108-104 on some driving forces.