The Phoenix Suns are still undefeated in the Orlando Bubble.
No seriously, I am.
The Suns improved to 5-0 in “seeded” matches after beating Miami, 119-112, on Saturday at the Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and further improved their playoff chances.
With the win, Phoenix (31-39) remains the only undefeated team on the bubble and moves mid-game from Portland, which is ninth in the Western Conference.
The Trail Blazers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, 122-117, on Saturday morning.
Devin Booker scored a record 35 points while Jevon Carter added 20 points off the bench, hitting 6 of 8 from 3 and pulling out the biggest streak in the game.
With Phoenix out of three, Bam Adebayo blocked Carter’s shot and tried to push the ball in transition. Staying with the Heat All-Star all along the floor, Carter stripped him at the baseline as he tried to get into the paint, pushed the ball back onto the pitch and found Deandre Ayton for a layup that gave the Suns a 99-94 lead.
On the next trip, Carter reached his fifth 3 of the night to extend Phoenix’s lead to eight while Miami manager Erik Spoelstra called a timeout with 5:50 remaining.
Miami (43-27) never got close to three points for the rest of the game.
Phoenix has now won five straight games, its longest streak since the 2014-15 season.
The Heat were without Kendrick Nunn (left bubble for personal reasons), Jimmy Butler (foot) and Goran Dragic (ankle).
Duncan Robinson and rookie Tyler Herro each scored 25 points for Miami, who led up to 11 in the first half.
Next next
The Suns will play Oklahoma City on Monday at Visa Athletic Center in the first of a back-to-back before taking on Philadelphia on Tuesday at The Field House.
Phoenix is 0-2 against the Thunder and 1-0 against the 76ers, who will be without Ben Simmons. The All-Star guard / striker has reportedly left the bubble to have left knee surgery.
Game Player: Jevon Carter
Booker continues to turn him on as he’s averaging 29.4 points in this 5-0. He led the team for significant stretches, but Carter made a difference in that.
He played well overall in the bubble, brought defense and intensity, but Carter came into Saturday’s game with an average of just four points and connecting on 4 out of 13 3-pointers.
Not only did he make six 3s, but he only lost two in reaching the season’s high in points and 3 points scored. Carter promptly hit 3s but continued to play that bulldog defense.
As fantastic as Booker was, without Carter, Phoenix loses his first game in the bubble.
What is the image of the playoffs
Here is the updated ranking for that eighth and last place in the playoffs.
- Memphis (33-37)
- Portland (32-39)
- Phoenix (31-39)
- Saint Anthony (30-38)
- New Orleans (30-39)
- Sacrament (29-40)
Suns and Spurs are mid-game behind Portland, which has the coveted ninth place, and two games behind Memphis, but Phoenix has a slightly higher win rate than San Antonio.
What matters.
The remaining five teams will all play tomorrow as the Blazers play the second of a back-to-back against Philadelphia and the Pelicans take on the Spurs.
New Orleans is only halfway through the game behind Phoenix and San Antonio. So that Pelicans-Spurs game is monstrous. Sacramento faces Houston while Memphis has Toronto.
Another day watching the scoreboard for the Suns.
What did you expect
This has become the norm for the Phoenix Suns, right?
Show up, resist the races, stay thirsty and find a way to win another in the bubble.
Seriously, this is a huge deal.
This team hadn’t won more than three games in a row throughout the season.
The Suns were 2-8 in games decided by five points or less in their 65 games before the season was temporarily closed on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
They have a couple of two-point wins over Dallas and Clippers and pulled off another near Miami in a game that has six draws and 11 changes of lead.
Phoenix lost those kinds of games before closing.
Now the Sun are winning the closest. Again and again.
What went well
The bench of the Suns has totaled 35 points while Dario Saric continues to arrive. He recorded an almost double double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
For a guy who seemed to play better as a starter, Saric continues to thrive as a reserve.
Phoenix took advantage of his free throw opportunities (19 out of 20), won the rebound battle, 52-37, and capped Miami to 11 out of 36 from 3. The Heat looked good, but Suns contested. some, as well.
What he did not do
Phoenix struggled to keep the ball in front when Miami came on the edge with Herro doing most of the damage from the rebound.
The youngster has a bright future in this league.
Considering the Suns knew Portland had lost early this morning, they didn’t come out locked in like you might think they should.
Then they talked a bit with the referees. I did it long before the arrest.
It didn’t work then. So there is no need to do too much now.
Who played well
Deandre Ayton can fall out of bed and get 18 points and 12 rebounds, but he got through some early fights (five fouls, two turnovers) to get eight points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter.
He didn’t play great, but he did it when it mattered most.
Who hasn’t
Monty Williams said before the game that he thinks Frank Kaminsky will have an offensive breakout game.
It hasn’t happened yet.
Now he’s shooting 5 for 19 from the field, getting a terrible 1 for 9 from 3. Kaminsky was 0 for 3 on Saturday, 0 for 2 from 3.
Ugh.
Who is missing
Aron Baynes (bruised right knee) and Elie Okobo (sprained right ankle) were again excluded from Saturday’s match while Kelly Oubre Jr. (right knee rehab) remains in doubt.
Unless Phoenix makes the playoffs, I can’t see those three playing in the bubble. The Suns have three games in four days coming up.
Who said this
“He’s a fighter. He’s a fighter. He hit the big boys for us, but his communication and energy in defense tonight when we went from one to five to try and take out some of the cuts and slips he was probably the best guy. That does it tonight. This team keeps playing through bad segments of the game, we’re not shooting. We’re not moving the ball like we usually do. Keep playing. Our will is something I don’t “don’t take for granted. “- Suns coach Monty Williams over Jevon Carter and the team after the 119-112 victory over Miami on Saturday.
“I feel like it’s important to this organization. For the fans who have stayed with us for so long and still do. Since I’ve been in Phoenix, we haven’t had success, but the support has been there. This is what we owe to the fans, we owe it to the organization. It’s been a long time for us and I think this bubble of opportunity has been great for us and we’re taking advantage of it. ” – Suns All-Star Devin Booker.
“How much we want it and our mental focus on defense. I think a lot of the guys have grown in these three, four months. It feels like a second season for a lot of them. We have the same coach and that really helps to see the growth of this team. . We have even more room to improve, but once you start winning and you feel good. We know we have eight games and we have to go 8-0. ” – Suns playmaker Ricky Rubio.
“I can feel it, I can see it, but I’m also locked out 24/7. When I see guys like me they don’t get a call, they may have a turnover here and there, or they may miss a task, watching the coach. Everyone. they come down, like I’m paying attention to all those things. My job is very simple, so I can notice things like that. So when I see guys like Book and DA, they don’t really like what they call officials, just talk to them. Let me know like it’s over. No matter what they missed, called or not called, you can’t go back into the past and change it. All you can do is prepare for the future. I tell you guys, yo, shut up, get ready, we have more basketball to play “. – Suns point guard Jevon Carter.
“They are fast and play with a rhythm. They are top five in transition points and pace for the season. This is what they do and they have made us go back a couple of times, but we had some good possessions in the second half where we are. came back and we forced them in the middle of the court, but again, that ball in the air, the ball on the floor plays in the middle. Containing the ball in close-ups proved very expensive. ” – Heat trainer Erik Spoelstra.
“We just need to have 48 full minutes of basketball when we’re all stuck and focused. I think we’re passing too many times when we’re high and when we’re low on energy. I just need 48 full minutes to play Miami Heat basketball. . This is what we preach and I think as the season goes on and we get closer to the playoffs here, we will have to stop and really focus on that. ” – Novice Tyler Herro.
Do you have an opinion on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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