Chris Paul settles Suns to win in another wonky game against T-Wolves

You know the old sports projection of, “If this team played that team 10 times, X team would win X times out of 10?”

It felt like that was actually playing out through three quarters of the Phoenix Suns’ 113-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A day after the home loss to the Timberwolves (10-32), we were right back where we started on Friday night. Minnesota was hanging around in the game and there wasn’t much of a punch in the mouth delivered by the Suns (27-13) to put the opponent down.

There was no surge of momentum headed in either direction. The closest we got was when head coach Monty Williams was ejected in the second quarter.

It was the second straight occasion of a lightly called game, meaning that both sides were going to inevitably be upset when they didn’t get the same call that was given earlier, with fouls called on minimal contact. That more often than not leads to a game with an inconsistent and static whistle.

Williams wasn’t having it anymore and did not oblige when one official appeared to tell him to “walk away” after giving the coach his first technical.

In his seventh NBA season as a head coach after nine years of playing, Williams said it was his first ejection ever.

“Coach done played for a long time, done coached for a long time, so I think he was legit mad,” Chris Paul said. “But I think he also was trying to give us a spark and I think it definitely did that.”

Williams said he’s never really believed in getting tossed to rile his guys up. He had just had enough with the calls being missed.

“That’s not a tactic that I use,” he said. “But tonight was one of those nights where I felt like I had to stand up for our guys and I’ve been on our guys about leaving the officials alone. I think they did a good job, they were trying their best.”

That was the only jolt through three quarters if you want to call it that. Because after a 21-11 Suns stretch post-ejection to lead by 10 at the half, the Timberwolves started the second half on a 15-0 run.

During that third quarter, Devin Booker got himself a technical, his ninth on the year. He was off all game and it looked like the refs got to him in the third when he couldn’t find any sort of rhythm. It was a moment where either he or Paul needed to simultaneously settle the game while grasping a handle on it, and while Paul got a few buckets to fall, Booker wasn’t getting there. He shot 0-of-9 from the field in the second half.

Again, like Thursday, the Suns were “in control” of the game up five through three quarters, but didn’t really put it away with authority against a bad team like they have a few times already this season.

Eventually, though, it got to that point.

On this iteration of the 10-game simulation, there was no scorching hot performance from the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony Towns. The duo didn’t have any 40-point nights in them like Thursday, as Edwards finished 4-of-18 from the field with seven turnovers and Towns had 24 points.

Williams switched up the coverages a bit on Edwards and it clearly affected the rookie’s flow through the game. There were no roaring answers Phoenix couldn’t stop from either guy on the other end.

Thankfully for the Suns, their bench was up for it Friday. With Paul and Booker both resting to begin the fourth quarter, it was an 11-3 stretch led by Langston Galloway, Frank Kaminsky and starter Mikal Bridges. Cam Payne also hit some key shots throughout the evening.

The Suns were up 11 with 6:30 left as the starters returned, and coasted from there. If anything, it looked like the Timberwolves didn’t have it in ’em.

To go back to the point on Paul and Booker, the Point God got there in terms of seizing the game. He scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half, providing the individual scoring punch required when the team wasn’t synchronized offensively.

“I haven’t talked to him yet but I think Chris was like, ‘Mont’s gone, I gotta take over,'” Williams said. “That would be my guess that he was thinking. In those moments, he’s always a leader, he’s always in that role of coach.”

Paul added nine assists to that 20, while Booker shot an uncharacteristically poor 6-of-18 from the field with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and five turnovers.

The lone consistent between both nights was Mikal Bridges, who had his fingerprints all over this game with his defense on Edwards and 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. That man is going to get paid this upcoming offseason and will deserve every penny.

Galloway contributed 14 points and Payne brought in 11 more.

While Deandre Ayton was in foul trouble throughout, he had a few key stops on Edwards and showed more of what he’s capable of defensively when tracking a ball-handler to the basket. He provided eight points and six rebounds in 18 minutes.

Whatever it was about the matchup between these two teams, it didn’t bring out the best in the Suns. For the first one back in Minnesota, it was a similar effort by Phoenix while Booker took over and dropped a necessary 43 to get a victory.

Williams’ ejection shouldn’t really be viewed as a turning point, but maybe it can serve as an uncharacteristic moment for him that the guys can get a laugh out of and use to move past a subpar two games.

Paul couldn’t think of seeing Williams getting tossed back in New Orleans. Payne believed it when he heard about the lack of ejections for Williams because he’s such a good person. Booker wondered with a laugh what Williams had said because the head coach doesn’t curse.

Williams will have his guys snap back into place for Sunday, because if there’s one thing to know about this Suns team so far, it’s that they show up for big games. And they’re hosting the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time all season, a game the Lakers will want to get one back in after Phoenix’s outstanding win post-Booker ejection in L.A. last month.

Should be fun.

Follow @KellanOlson