Devin Booker is getting fed up with the Phoenix Suns' habit of faltering in the fourth quarter, blowing leads, or making games closer than necessary. After watching the Cleveland Cavaliers chip away at their once 28-point lead to start the second half on Wednesday night, his frustration likely hit a boiling point. So, he took matters into his own hands, stepping up to score nine crucial points in an 11-2 run, leading to a 122-101 victory before a packed crowd of 17,071 at Footprint Center. This surge put the Suns comfortably ahead, 88-68, after the Cavaliers had closed the gap to 11 points with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter, following a 19-3 run of their own.
Booker, coming off a 52-point performance in Monday’s win against New Orleans, continued his scoring spree with a game-high 40 points. The Suns managed the win despite missing Grayson Allen, who was out due to left hip soreness. They're hoping to have him back for Friday’s game against Minnesota, the second of a four-game homestand.
With New Orleans losing at home to Orlando, the Suns (45-31) have moved up to sixth in the West, aiming to avoid the play-in tournament. Phoenix holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pelicans (45-31).
The Kings (44-31) didn’t play Wednesday and will host the Knicks on Thursday. Royce O’Neale, starting in place of Allen, impressed with 17 points, hitting 5-of-7 on 3s, while Bol Bol added 15 off the bench, connecting on 3-of-4 from deep.
Phoenix shot 18-of-33 on 3s as a team, with Booker making 5-of-9 after going 8-of-16 on Monday. Kevin Durant hit 3-of-7 from deep. In contrast, Cleveland (46-31) struggled, going just 7-of-26 on 3s, playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Phoenix completed the home-away series sweep. Here are the key takeaways as the Suns matched their win total from last season with six games remaining.
The discussion about whether to start Allen or O’Neale is ongoing and likely gained momentum after Wednesday’s game.
While O’Neale may not be the sharpshooter from 3 that Allen is (leading the NBA in 3-point shooting at 46.9%), he's a career 38% shooter from deep who can catch fire, as he did on Wednesday.
The Suns are 5-2 with O’Neale in the starting lineup, but Allen was also in the starting lineup for those first six games. Allen has earned the starting spot due to his exceptional 3-point shooting and defensive efforts. However, O’Neale is a better defender and rebounder who can guard multiple positions, qualities crucial now and in the playoffs.
At 6-6, O’Neale also provides a bigger lineup compared to Allen's 6-4 frame. Allen averages more assists at 3.8 to 2.8, but O’Neale has fewer turnovers since joining the Suns right before the trade deadline.
The question remains: could Allen replicate his 13.4 points per game off the bench? Probably, but O’Neale could also provide a similar impact off the bench while being the more experienced player of the two.
Allen will likely remain the starter, but starting O’Neale should be more than just an afterthought for coach Vogel.
Login