While they were -18 (52-70) behind the Clippers at halftime, the Suns played nine perfect minutes after returning from the locker room, with a collective 15/15 shooting which allowed them to get back into a tie ( 89-89).
With his 12 points at 5/5 in this sequence, Devin Booker (40 points in the end) was the team's master pyrotechnician, but everyone participated in the party. Whether it's Tyus Jones with the floater, Jusuf Nurkic at 3-points or out of the pick-and-roll, or even Ryan Dunn in counterattack or Royce O'Neale in the corner…
In addition to Devin Booker and his superb 5/9 at 3-points, the Dunn/O'Neale duo was also the main provider of outside shots for Phoenix, taking advantage of the good collective shifts to accumulate a 9/15 at long distance, with in detail a 4/9 for the surprising rookie, and a superb 5/6 for the veteran.
“Those two guys… It doesn't matter what we asked them to do, and it's only been five games, but in those five games, they were really, really good.” explains Mike Budenholzer. “Royce made big shots, in the corner, he made valuable stops, big blocks, rebounds. A bit of everything. And Ryan, we threw him right in the deep end. He must defend against big players every night, create plays, shoot 3-pointers with confidence. With their size and athleticism, these two guys really help us a lot defensively. »
A shooting quality that is confirmed
This size and this physical impact are indeed valuable for the Suns who often suffered last season, when the game got tougher and we had to flex our muscles.
“Royce, he’s at a stage in his career where he’s taken the next step as a player.” Kevin Durant bluntly assures. “He raises his level when there are absentees (Bradley Beal last night), he brings points when necessary, he counters, he defends from the point guard to the pivot, he creates play. I'm really impressed. »
“KD” is obviously also impressed by Ryan Dunn, even if the veteran was more lenient with the rookie, who stood up to listen to his answers when he was questioned about himself. “This little bastard is going to have to keep working” the double MVP of the Finals joked about the former Virginia player, announced as a very weak shooter and who has proven, since the preseason, that he is much better than expected. Over Phoenix's first five games, he's shooting 44% from afar, with a nice 11/25!
“We tested him in our facilities (before the Draft) and we observed his shot, in different situations, and we were enthusiastic, to help him grow, because often, it's just a matter of confidence. His (shooting) automatisms are generally solid and we're just trying to help him.” concludes Mike Budenholzer.
