Phoenix Suns goalie Devin Booker, center, leads while Washington Wizards striker Deni Avdija (9) and goalkeeper Russell Westbrook (4) defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, April 10, 2021, in Phoenix. (Photo by AP / Matt York)
PHOENIX – At the start of Saturday night’s game against the Washington Wizards, the Phoenix Suns gained a 10-2 advantage. After the wizards called for a timeout, they responded with a 15-4 halftime and kept the game close for the first two quarters.
At the start of the second half, the Suns continued 9-3, leading by eight. Washington left again with a timeout, but this time, the Suns continued to run. Phoenix outscored 44-24 in the third quarter and went on to win 134-106.
The 44 points were the most scored by the Suns in a quarter this season.
Devin Booker had 17 of his 27 in that third. He started hitting 3s pull-ups, a sign that he was cooking.
“I usually realize when he’s going to, just by looking at the way he lets the ball go, at his balance,” head coach Monty Williams said. “And I think the team realized that and everyone wanted to feed him the ball so he could continue.”
Booker also found Mikal Bridges for the second time in the game on a transitional lead jump pass in transition, one he couldn’t help but smile at.
Booker liked it more than the first because of Bridges’ difficult finish, and Bridges agreed. (So do I, if you’re curious.)
The Suns had 22 assists in the middle two quarters and finished with 36 per night in just three turnovers. It was great to see after the results of 20 assists back in the last two games, although against stellar competition.
Williams liked how much the Suns moved from the ball, noting that it emphasized body movement as much as the movement of the ball in the 0.5 elements of the offense.
At the break, he highlighted his team’s 36 paint points for the Wizards. In what turned out to be the key ingredient no. 1 for the Suns’ offensive success, they managed to stop and create offense following those opportunities to run.
“Once I stopped, I flew to the floor,” Williams said.
The Suns turned into 17 triples and managed 134 points with just seven free throws.
All five Suns starters were double-digit: Booker, Bridges (15), Deandre Ayton (14), Jae Crowder (11) and Chris Paul (13), who added 10 assists and five rebounds.
The game had a certain amount of lethargic energy in the first half, but it was encouraging to see the sun turn it on and then close the door without allowing a lower team to slowly slip into the game, as they were prone to do this season.