Point guards help Suns come back on Hornets, end losing streak: By the Numbers

The Phoenix Suns needed this one.

They came into Charlotte on Wednesday carrying a six-game skid, and they faced a Hornets team that had lost 13 of its last 15, so the cards were set up for Phoenix to kick its losing streak to the curb.

Except the game didn’t go all that smoothly for the visiting Suns.

The Hornets took a lead midway through the first quarter and looked determined not to give it up, keeping the Suns at about a 10-point distance for most of the way.

When Markieff Morris was ejected and Charlotte subsequently took a nine-point lead as the third quarter wound down, all hope looked about lost for Phoenix.

However, the Suns cut the Hornets’ lead to four by the end of the period, and the visitors made their move roughly halfway through the final frame, led by point guards Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas.

The lead changed hands a couple of times in the last three minutes, but the Suns pulled it out by a 111-106 final. Phoenix’s six-game slide came to an end, and its record improved to 13-14.

Charlotte’s record dropped to 6-19. Surprisingly, there are three teams below the Hornets in the Eastern Conference standings.

Here’s a look at the Suns’ comeback, by the numbers:

1-1

The Suns and Hornets finished their 2014-15 matchups at 1-1. Phoenix narrowly avoided being swept by the Bobcats/Hornets franchise for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

3:31

Phoenix gave itself a fighting chance by holding the Hornets scoreless from the 6:17 mark of the fourth quarter to the 2:46 mark, a span of three minutes and 31 seconds. The Suns only scored three points during that Charlotte drought, but captured the lead roughly a minute later. Phoenix’s defense in the entire quarter was strong, as the team held Charlotte to a game-low 19 points.

5

Morris was starting to heat up when…technicals happened. The power forward picked up two techs within a three-minute span in the third quarter, exiting the game with 13 points and eight rebounds. He now has been assessed five technical fouls on the season. His brother, Marcus, came in and played well, scoring six of his eight points after Markieff was ejected. On the night, Marcus shot 4-for-5 from the field and posted five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

7

The Hornets’ loss can almost be pinpointed on Kemba Walker — for either taking too many shots at the end of the game or for just plain missing them. The Hornets point guard began the game a sizzling 9-of-13 from the field, but he missed his last seven attempts, all in the last five minutes of the game.

11

Suns centers Alex Len and Miles Plumlee were effective Wednesday. Len shot 5-for-6 and finished with 10 points, four rebounds and a block. Plumlee only scored two points, but he grabbed some crucial boards in the fourth quarter, including some that kept offensive possessions alive. Plumlee pulled down seven rebounds in 19 minutes on the evening, including three offensive boards. The pair’s combined rebound total of 11 beat out Hornets center Al Jefferson’s 10. Overall, the Suns held a 43-35 advantage on the boards.

15

Bledsoe was crucial to Phoenix’s fourth-quarter run to retake the lead, but his overall numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet. The fifth year guard shot 5-for-15 from the floor and finished with 15 points and two assists in 39 minutes. Since recording a triple-double last Monday in Los Angeles, the 6-foot-1 performer has failed to score more than 16 points in a contest in his last five outings.

20

The Suns were happy to have Dragic back after a two-game absence. The 6-foot-3 guard played some pesky defense in the final quarter, and he tallied 20 points, one steal and a game-high eight assists on the evening. Phoenix is 5-2 when he goes for 20 points or more this season.

23

Thomas dropped 12 points in the final period and ended up tying his season high with 23 points. The Suns are 7-1 when the 5-foot-9 guard scores 20 points or more. Thomas would have had more, but he had an off night at the free throw line, missing four of his 10 tries.

38:34

Charlotte held onto a lead for a consecutive 38 minutes and 34 seconds of game time, from the 7:42 mark of the first quarter to the 1:44 mark of the fourth. At that point in the fourth period, the Suns took a 105-104 lead. Phoenix proceeded to score six of the game’s final eight points.

40-38

Despite Jefferson’s big presence, Phoenix actually won the points-in-the-paint battle 40-38, an area in which the Suns have been struggling for most of the season.

55

Charlotte’s big two of Walker and Jefferson combined for a whopping 55 points and shot a combined 22-for-42. Both, however, slowed down in the second half, allowing room for Phoenix to retake the lead.