Suns Strokes: Suns give up 90 points in first half, fall to Rockets at home

PHOENIX — So, the Phoenix Suns hosted a defense-optional night at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Thursday. And that’s fine. Fans love to see the basketball go through the hoop. It certainly beats the alternative.

The problem was they picked the wrong opponent to hold such an evening.

Yeah, the Houston Rockets were in town.

Led by former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, the Rockets are the NBA’s third-highest scoring team. In addition, no team has attempted and made more 3-pointers than the Rockets.

Add all that together and the result was predictable. The Suns lost.

It was their seventh defeat in eight games as they ended a season-long six-game homestand, dropping a 142-116 ballgame in front of an announced crowd of 16,875 and a national television audience.

James Harden paced seven Rockets (12-4) in double figures with 48 points, while Chris Paul recorded a double-double (11 points and 10 assists) in his first game back from a left knee injury in only 21 minutes.

Harden had 23 points in a 45-point second quarter and 33 points in a 90-point first half, the second-highest scoring half in NBA history.

“I thought there was something wrong with the score,” said Harden, who shot 12-of-22 from the field.

Overall, the 142 points the Rockets scored was the most in the league this season.

They hit 21 of the 44 3-pointers they attempted and finished 35-of-38 from the free-throw line.

Despite the outcome, there were several bright spots for the Suns: Troy Daniels made seven 3s and scored a season-high 23 points plus Greg Monroe (20 points and 11 rebounds) and Devin Booker (18 points and 10 assists) each had double-doubles.

Monroe was making his Suns debut.

Josh Jackson (16 points) and T.J. Warren (14) also reached double figures.

But, again, just too much firepower from the Rockets, who have now beaten the Suns five games in a row.

THE GOOD

Class move by the Suns. During the first timeout in the first quarter, the team welcomed back P.J. Tucker with a video tribute on the scoreboards throughout the arena. The highlight package was followed by the message, “Thank you, Tuck!” The fans responded with a nice ovation for a player who spent four-plus seasons in a Suns uniform and was making his first trip back to Phoenix since being traded last season.

Entering Thursday, Daniels had not made a 3-pointer in his last three games. He made six, in the second quarter. Daniels, who went 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, tied the franchise record for made 3-pointers in a quarter, matching a mark shared by Gerald Green (March 6, 2014, vs. Oklahoma City) and Shannon Brown (Nov. 7, 2012, at Charlotte). Daniels’ 18 points were a team-high at halftime.

By far, the Suns played their season’s best quarter of basketball in the second. Not only did Daniels have 18 points but Monroe dropped 12 on the Rockets. In addition, Booker had six assists, five of which resulted in Daniels 3-pointers. As a team, the Suns shot 16-of-24 (66.7 percent) from the field for a season-high 42 points, their most of any quarter this season. Of course, the Suns were outscored by three in the period.

THE BAD

The first-quarter struggles continue. That’s now nine straight games in which the Suns have been outscored in the game’s opening 12 minutes. And the ninth was the worst of all. A 15-1 Rockets close put the visitors ahead, 45-23; the 45-points marked a Suns’ opponent season-high, for any quarter. Houston made 16-of-25 shot attempts, including 7-of-11 of their 3-point tries. Anderson had three.

The second quarter wasn’t much better, for the Suns anyway. The Rockets dropped another 45 points on the home team for a 90-point total at halftime. The 90 points were 20 better than the previous season-high for points in a half by a Suns opponent, and more than Golden State scored in its game at Boston. It also marked a franchise record for opponents points in a half, besting the Lakers’ 89 in 1987.

Twice in the third quarter, and four times overall, the Suns fouled a Rockets player attempting a 3-pointer. Warren and Tyler Ulis hit Harden and Eric Gordon, respectively. Harden and Gordon both made all three of their free throws. Earlier in the game, Daniels and Marquese Chriss were the guilty parties. Through three quarters, the Suns had committed 21 personal fouls, resulting in the Rockets going 32-of-35 from the free-throw line.

For Harden, this was his 40th career game scoring 40-plus points. The 48-point effort was the most ever scored by a Rockets player against the Suns, surpassing the previous high of 45 by Moses Malone on Feb. 5, 1982, in Phoenix. Harden’s 23 points in the second quarter alone tied for the second-most points in a quarter in Rockets history, matching Yao Ming’s 23 points in the fourth quarter at Washington on Dec. 9, 2006.

STAT OF THE GAME

20-30: The only other time in NBA history a team has made 20-plus 3-pointers and 30-plus free throws was Houston the last time they scored 142 points, vs. Minnesota on Feb. 25 last season when they made 22 3s and 32 free throws.

HE SAID IT

“We knew the other night after they lost, they were going to bounce back,” interim head coach Jay Triano said, referring to the Rockets. “We tried to be up on shots, but I think, young players, you got to experience once or twice before you know how far you have to be up on them. A couple of the shots we were right there, other times when we would’ve had hands down, we know they’re going to shoot 40 3s, and they did. We just have to be more aware next time.”

NOTED

Booker had his second double-double of the season, while Jackson had his eighth double-digit scoring of the season.

Warren received a technical foul at the 9:29 mark of the third quarter; and he was on the bench at the time of the call.

Tyson Chandler (illness) and Jared Dudley (right knee contusion) did not play; Dudley missed his third game in a row.

Brandon Knight (left ACL tear), Davon Reed (left meniscus tear) and Alan Williams (right meniscus tear) were inactive.

With the game on TNT, tip-off was not until 8:47 p.m.; Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller had the game call.

Among those in attendance was Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald; he was sitting courtside with Robert Sarver.

UP NEXT

Immediately after the game, the Suns headed to the airport and boarded a flight to Los Angeles, where they’ll play the Lakers on Friday, Nov. 17.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes earlier on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

The teams meet for the third time in a month.

The Lakers are 2-0 against the Suns, winning both matchups in Phoenix.

Booker nearly had a triple-double in Game 1, while he posted his sixth 30-point performance of the season in Game 2; the latter also saw Bender record a career-high 15 points.

Overall, the Suns have won 16 of the last 24 meetings in the series.

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