Phoenix Suns bring playoff intensity to primetime win over Nets

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns were due for what they got on Tuesday night and played like it.

While the Brooklyn Nets were without Kevin Durant (left MCL sprain) and LaMarcus Aldridge (left ankle sprain), they came into the Valley matching a playoff-level intensity coming from the Suns. It had been a while since the Suns got that sort of bump from a really good team, as recent meetings with the Utah Jazz were soiled by injuries and the last two premium matchups were from late December against the Warriors and Grizzlies.

The execution from Phoenix and Brooklyn wasn’t quite on a top-tier level defensively, but the energy was, and the Suns just had more to give in that regard en route to a 121-111 win.

The steadier team was going to win, and it was no surprise to see it be the Suns, who have now won 11 straight.

“The poise in those moments but the experiences that we’ve had in the past probably help us in those moments,” head coach Monty Williams said. “This group that we’ve had for the three years I’ve been here, they’ve been with me in those moments and now they’ve been with Chris (Paul) for two years. I think that helps.”

Brooklyn’s (29-21) combination of timely buckets, a knack for finding open shooters and excellent shotmaking from James Harden and Kyrie Irving allowed them to take one of the Suns’ better efforts this season on the chin.

A 10-point edge for the Suns (41-9) through one quarter quickly diluted down to a back-and-forth game for nearly all of the middle quarters.

In the late third quarter, though, Phoenix went on a 10-2 run to lead by a dozen. It was at least enough breathing room to put a buffer on while Paul got his last rest of the game. It was necessary, as he returned with 9:25 left and the Suns up just three.

And wouldn’t you know it, in a five-point game as the clock ticked under five minutes to go, that’s when Phoenix mustered up a rapid 10-0 run in less than two minutes to effectively conclude the proceedings.

Against a backcourt that some claim is the best in basketball, the Suns proved that it resides in Phoenix.

Devin Booker was game from the jump for a primetime stage against a willing opponent. He scored 14 of his 35 points in the first quarter and knocked down back-to-back 3s during that aforementioned 10-0 spurt. He played the entire second half and never appeared tired, sprinting down the court off a handful of breakouts offensively to create spacing for the Suns’ transition opportunities.

Booker played a game-high 41 minutes and Paul checked in at 39, contributing 20 points, 14 assists, two steals and a game-high +20. Booker’s +15 was the second-highest in the game while Harden was -11 and Irving checked in at -17.

That had a whole lot to do with Mikal Bridges, who had one of those nights defensively that makes you wonder if he really does have a shot at Defensive Player of the Year this season. Bridges took most of the Harden assignment but also spent a fair amount of time checking Irving.

Harden was 6-of-19 from the field for 22 points, following up the 4-for-15 effort he had in Brooklyn the last time he was guarded by Bridges in November.

Williams said pregame that Bridges has improved loads at implementing the scouting report in his defense and Bridges confirmed that the team’s playoff experience last season helped with that. The fourth-year wing said the scouting report for the first round series against the Los Angeles Lakers was so comprehensive that he was up at night studying it like a test.

“Like, alright, look at it, close my eyes (and) just think, ‘Do this, do this,'” Bridges said. “Look down, I’m like, ‘Damn.’ Restart. Try to figure it out again.”

Irving had the better night of the two Nets guards, shooting 10-of-20 on the way to 26 points. Harden added 10 assists.

Bridges was so good defensively we haven’t even touched on his season-high 27 points, the exact type of performance he needs to have when defenses are keyed in on the ball-handlers and not as air-tight in his spaces.

“A lot of his scoring is dictated by the defense,” Williams said of Bridges. “When teams are trapping our guards then it frees Cam (Johnson) and Jae (Crowder) on the backside and Mikal and they get more attempts.”

Booker has often talked about the “pick your poison” element of the offense now with so many weapons. Here is what Deandre Ayton had to say about that.

“Man, yeah, you got a lot of poison out there! It’s a lot of poison,” Ayton said. “You got me and C in the pick-and-roll and you got a lot of dudes that know how to playmake and score the ball by themselves as well. Our main thing is moving the ball. Just sharing the ball amongst each other and then everybody get a feel.

“That’s our culture and that’s how we flow. Like I say, you don’t know who is going to drop 30. It might be three people that have 30 or 20. That’s just our offense and our system.”

When Ayton was asked if he loves seeing early defensive rotations toward him that open things up for someone like Bridges, he replied, “Oh yes! Yes! I love it!”

Bridges was 10-of-14 shooting the ball and also had eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Brooklyn converted on 16 three-pointers to hang around. The Suns’ defense wasn’t as on a string as it usually is, giving the Nets’ shooters too much room on wide-open 3s in order to tighten up the lane for Harden and Irving.

Ayton played his first game in over two weeks and looked the part, trying to get his second wind while finding his spots on the floor to take ownership over. Ayton said that was the first 5-on-5 he had played since spraining his right ankle and Williams noted a night like Ayton’s can be expected with that in mind.

Ayton finished with 12 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.

The Suns got Jae Crowder back too, who had missed four games because of a left wrist contusion that he said after shootaround he’s just going to play through at this point. Crowder in 25 minutes produced three points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He did all the Jae Crowder things, the type of nuances that don’t show up in the box score and greatly benefit the team on both ends.

Elfrid Payton had one of his best shifts of the season in the first half, a much-needed effort given the absences of Cam Payne (right wrist sprain) and Landry Shamet (right ankle sprain) making him the only reserve guard available. He dished out four assists and scored three points in 13 minutes.

Booker is now averaging 32 points per game in his last 10 contests, certifying himself as an All-NBA candidate alongside Paul and making a push to enter the MVP conversation. Bridges’ 27 points marked the second straight game he had his season high in after 26 on Sunday.

Those two are now at over 38 minutes a night in the team’s last seven games and are joined by Paul in that group as well. But with that crazy uptick in mind, it is worth noting how a series of blowouts have allowed Williams to play that trio lower minutes. Bridges and Paul have each had 15 games this season clocking in at under 32 minutes while Booker’s total is at 10.

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