Toronto Raptors striker Pascal Siakam on the left tries to control the ball against Phoenix Suns striker Mikal Bridges (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, January 6 from 2021 to Phoenix. (Photo by AP / Ross D. Franklin)
The Phoenix Suns continue to find a winning formula as the starting lineup of the five continues to gear up. Wednesday, with a 123-115 win over the Toronto Raptors, was a high-level shot + enough defense.
The Suns made 21 trios, one of the franchise records. This included a stretch in the second half where they started an absurd 12 of 15.
Jae Crowder (21 points) hit six and Cam Johnson (16 points) added four. Phoenix had 30 assists and only 12 turnovers. Cam Payne recorded a maximum of 10 professional attendances (with a billing) in just 16 minutes.
“We just felt like if we could touch the paint we could get open shots,” head coach Monty Williams said.
Payne was the perfect player to do so, as he continues to prove he is a legitimate point of defense.
“He has a different team. He has a herculean look in his game and is a willing passer, ”said Williams. “What happens with Cam’s steps is that they are on time and at the finish line. Rarely do you see him pass the ball high or low. I thought his passes were punctual tonight. His ability to get to painting really helps us in these situations. ”
The Suns defense (6-2) didn’t get its way until the second half and Toronto’s offense (1-6) kept coming throughout the game. While Phoenix’s offense was annoying, there were enough deep ball conversions in the first half to supplant it and go up to four in the middle of a game, it looked like they should be lagging behind. if. from 16 to half.
Phoenix closed down enough defensively for the last 24 minutes to help them win.
“They only had 17 assists, so they were playing dribble and losing shots,” Williams said. “Defensively, we weren’t bad … you’re talking about a desperate team that has won a championship. I thought we were doing enough to win the game. There were stretches where we stayed very well and then we returned them ”.
That rain for the Suns of 12 triples in just over 16 minutes to start the second half ended up getting a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Suns ’offense found a routine again, though it didn’t score during 4:51 of game time and allowed the Raptors to go into six with 2:11 left.
Mikal Bridges received a free kick to stop this race and Kyle Lowry’s technical foul for Toronto earned him nine points. Even after a strong effort by the Raptors with full field pressure to make things interesting, they just didn’t have enough time to complete a comeback and the Suns got the win.
The Raptors came into the game with a funk and their star player Pascal Siakam was the most out of service. His maximum season in six games was 22 points, a total he reached in the middle of the third quarter. Siakam’s combination of strength, footwork and agility as a slasher is one of the best on the planet.
He got it on Wednesday, to the point that Williams put center Deandre Ayton in the second half. The bridges and even Crowder, a very strong boy, were overtaken by Siakam. Ayton did his best, playing a strong defensive game overall, but even with his ability for the ball, he could not stop the All-Star wing who scored a maximum of 32. With the play Siakam’s dominant given a header, the Suns limited him enough in the final quarter to participate in a Suns victory.
“He’s an All-Star and he’s won a title,” Williams said. “Good players have the ability to get to their places, even when you know what they will do, but I thought in the second half it was a lot harder for him.”
“I thought our aggression was just drawing the line and saying, ‘If you’re going to score, you’re going to have to score over the length and get past us.’ I thought it was so much better,” Williams added.
Much of that was Ayton. He had 16 rebounds in 31 minutes, plus 11 points.
The Suns got 42 bench points, with Johnson’s 16 and Dario Saric’s 15, which accounted for most of that. Booker finished with six assists to score with his 24 points, while Chris Paul provided eight assists and 12 points.
Players will admit what was mentioned at the top, which in general are still right now as a team. The fact that the Suns can be 6-2, be aware of that and inspire confidence that they will continue to improve.
“We’re just trying to rack up wins … it’s a very weird season,” Paul said. “The guys didn’t get a chance to play pick up before the season, there wasn’t a lot of practice, so the games look a bit whatever it is right now because the teams are trying to figure it out and play at the same time, but we just want to win. We just want to accumulate victories. “