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Suns

By appearing in the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks showed that they have collected some of the ingredients of an NBA title contender.
Prior to that, the Mavs had not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since winning the Finals in 2010-11, and had exited the postseason in the first round each of the last two years. Even this season, Dallas had its doubters in the first round against the Utah Jazz, and most of the national audience was against them versus the dominant Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
Then, the Mavericks won. Luka Doncic continues to ascend as one of the best basketball players on the planet. Several supporting cast members helped carry the load as well, whether it was Jalen Brunson in the first round, Maxi Kleber's Round 2 fireworks or Spencer Dinwiddie's production in the West Finals.
For so long, the narrative in Dallas had been: Does Luka have any help? After 2021-22, we at least know the Mavs have pieces to the puzzle. This summer presents the opportunity to shape the vision of a championship under Doncic and second-year head coach Jason Kidd.
The Mavericks boasted the sixth-best Defensive Rating (109.4) in the NBA during the regular season, per Basketball-Reference. That's impressive growth from a 20th-ranked unit in 2020-21 that didn't undergo massive roster overhaul. Our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-do-the-mavericks-have-an-elite-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan covered Dallas' defense back in January</a>, and it kept up the work even after trading Kristaps Porzingis away in the deal that returned Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.&nbsp;
No single, All-Defense-caliber player even stands out on the roster right now. Dorian Finney-Smith is very solid and so is Frank Ntilikina, though his minutes are too inconsistent currently. It's a true team-wide shift that significantly raises the team's floor come playoff time.&nbsp;
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With that being said &mdash; finding a true center to anchor the paint and provide stability on the glass remains a high priority. Dallas was 15th among the 16 playoff teams in offensive rebounding percentage (45.1%) and second chance points per game (9.0). They also gave up 14.2 second-chance points per game to their opponents, ranking fourth-highest in the postseason. The Mavs scored just 42.9 points in the paint per game during the regular season (ranked 29th of 30) and 35.4 in the playoffs (13th of 16) despite boasting two of the league's best driving threats in Doncic and Brunson.
Dwight Powell is a fine, rotation-caliber NBA player, but his minutes decreased in each subsequent series. Kleber is an awesome sharpshooting big and solid defender, but not an impactful interior presence.
Fortunately, there are several available free agents who Mavs president and general manager Nico Harrison could pursue in his second offseason with the team. Unfortunately, they have severely hamstrung themselves financially. According to Spotrac, they're a luxury taxpayer, which only leaves a mid-level exception worth just over $6.3 million to spend on a free agent. Dallas has virtually no path to cap space this season.
Jusuf Nurkic and Mitchell Robinson are the biggest names to hit unrestricted free agency as a center. They would almost instantly plug the rebounding hole, but are they the types of defenders and rim-runners who would thrive with Doncic? And is there a realistic way for the Mavericks to even sign them?
Other free agent centers who could fit in the mid-level exception include JaVale McGee, Andre Drummond and Bismack Biyombo, for some quick suggestions. Dallas does also hold a $10.2 million trade exception that it created when the team traded Josh Richardson to the Boston Celtics. It expires on June 27, before free agency begins, but it provides another avenue to acquire a rotation-level player.
It might make more sense for the Mavs to pursue a sign-and-trade with a restricted free agent. Obviously, Deandre Ayton is the marquee man. Evan Sidery toyed with <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-deandre-ayton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential trade packages for the Suns</a>; could Dallas offer something in this ballpark?
I personally am intrigued by Mo Bamba's potential fit. The 2018 No. 5 overall pick had a solid developmental year in Orlando, but appears to be the odd man out in a crowded young locker room. Bamba feels like a worthwhile gamble as a rebounder and rim-protector with a bit more mobility and shooting than your traditional bruising center.
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Of course, all this free agency discussion will come after the Mavericks address their largest elephant in the room. Jalen Brunson broke out as a secondary scorer this season, culminating in his huge games that gave Dallas the edge against Utah. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-destinations-for-jalen-brunson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He's an unrestricted free agent</a> who deserves a bag this summer.
"It&rsquo;s the top priority,&rdquo; Harrison said about re-signing Brunson in his <a href="https://www.mavs.com/brunson-is-top-priority/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exit interview Friday</a>. &ldquo;We got to figure that out. Obviously, we&rsquo;re not in control of it. But he&rsquo;s definitely a priority. We want to re-sign him. He knows it. And we want him back. He&rsquo;ll be a big part of our future.&rdquo;
The Mavs' last route to improve is with their No. 26 overall draft pick. Dallas has been a mixed bag with drafting in recent seasons, but this is the first year Harrison will be at the helm after the franchise passed on the process in 2021. Most recently, the franchise selected Josh Green at No. 20 and Tyrell Terry at No. 31 in 2020. Green's development has been slow but notable through two seasons, while Terry is no longer in the organization.&nbsp;
Matt Babcock's latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> projects the Mavericks to select Max Christie, a freshman wing from Michigan State. Christie was a five-star high school talent who struggled to produce as a college freshman. But his tools as a shooter, scorer and on-ball defender have all flashed and can be sharpened in the right environment.&nbsp;
Aside from Brunson, reserves Trey Burke and Theo Pinson are the only other players entering free agency. However, Dallas notably has just four players under fully guaranteed contracts in 2023-24, per Spotrac: Doncic, Finney-Smith, Bertans and Tim Hardaway Jr. If the squad underwhelms next year, the 2023 offseason could open up a serious roster makeover.&nbsp;
Dallas is on the cusp of true title contention. This offseason is all about checking off some final boxes, keeping the successful core intact and adding depth to a team that persevered through several injuries during the season.
If the summer breaks right, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks emerging as everyone's favorite championship sleeper by October.
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The Mavericks exited the Western Conference Finals with a strong playoff run, but have several glaring needs.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Dallas Mavericks?

Luka Doncic scored 33 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.
The home team has won all six games, none with a final margin closer than seven points. The deciding game is Sunday in Phoenix.
The Mavericks won when facing elimination for the first time in three tries with Doncic, their three-time All-Star.
The two losses came against the Clippers the past two seasons, including Game 7 in Los Angeles last year after the visitors won the first six games, a first in the playoffs. Dallas is playing beyond the first round for the first time since winning the title 11 years ago.
The Suns, seeking a second consecutive trip to the West finals, are going the distance in a series for the first time in two postseasons with Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The previous three went six, including Phoenix&rsquo;s loss to Milwaukee last year in the NBA Finals.
Booker scored 19 points but was shut out from 3-point range (0 of 4) while going 6 of 17. Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Paul added 13 points.
The top-seeded Suns were held to a season low in scoring, regular season or playoffs, for the second time in the series.&nbsp;
Reggie Bullock scored 19 points and Jalen Brunson added 18 for Dallas. Spencer Dinwiddie had a series-high 15, all on 3s (5 of 7).
Doncic played through an apparent left leg injury that sent him to the locker room when he would have been out of the game anyway in the second quarter. He returned to the bench and rode a stationary bike before re-entering the game.
Soon after, the Mavericks went on a decisive 19-5 run to finish the first half, turning a two-point lead into a 60-45 halftime edge.
It was a home-team replay of the third quarter from Game 5, when Phoenix went on a 17-0 run for an 18-point lead and ended up winning by 30.
Doncic, who had 11 rebounds and eight assists, fought his shot while fighting the injury early, but had a 3 on the late first-half run and scored 10 in the third to help the Mavericks push their lead to 22 (94-72).
Paul mostly avoided the problems with turnovers and fouls that cost the Suns in the first two losses in Dallas. But the 37-year-old point guard was never much of a factor, getting just seven shots.
Booker was stuck on eight points while Dallas pulled away in the second and third quarters, opening the second half with a miss on an ill-advised 3 and not scoring again until the Suns were down 21 late in the third.
TIP-INS
Suns: Ayton got a technical for elbowing Doncic in the face when Doncic fouled him on a dunk in the third quarter. Doncic missed the technical free throw, and Ayton finished the three-point play. ... Bismack Biyombo didn&rsquo;t have the same impact as the replacement for JaVale McGee, who didn&rsquo;t play for the first time in the series. Biyombo had four points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.
Mavericks: This was the 10th consecutive time this season the Mavericks have answered a loss of at least 20 points with a victory. ... Dallas recovered from a slow start from 3 to finish 16 of 39 (41%) while holding the Suns to 40% overall for the game.

Luka Doncic scored 33 points and the Mavericks beat the Suns 113-86 on Thursday night to force a Game 7 in the West semis.

Doncic, Mavericks cruise past Suns 113-86 to force Game 7

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers got way too comfortable against the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns and it nearly cost them.
Leading by 39 points in the third quarter, the Clippers survived an offensive onslaught by Phoenix's bench in the fourth and hung on for a 113-109 victory on Wednesday night.
Norman Powell scored 24 points after being out two months and Paul George added 19 points in three quarters to go over 15,000 in his career for the Clippers.
“You can never relax in the NBA,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “The players are too good, the coaches are too good, and as soon as you let your guard down things like this can happen.”
With nothing at stake, Phoenix rested All-Star guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul and fellow starters Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder on the second night of a back-to-back. The Suns had already set a franchise record for wins in a season with 63 by eliminating the Lakers from playoff contention Tuesday.
The Clippers beat up the Suns for three quarters. But Phoenix's reserves put together a 48-point fourth quarter and then ran out of time.
“It’s a great lesson for our team and any kid watching, you just play it out,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “We just stayed with it and had that Suns grit.”
Cameron Payne came back in and hit a 3-pointer that drew the Suns within four with 10 seconds left. Amir Coffey got fouled and made both free throws to preserve the win. 
Ish Wainwright scored a career-high 20 points to lead Phoenix. Aaron Holiday added 16 points and Bismack Biyombo had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The only starter in double figures was Payne with 13 points. The Suns' bench outscored the Clippers' reserves 66-58.
“When you have games like this, you find out who that guy is that you may be able to throw into a big game,” Williams said. “You build that confidence in games like this.”
George and Powell were playing together for the first time this season, but they quickly got in sync to help the Clippers win their third in a row. They are locked into the eighth spot for the Western Conference play-in tournament next week.
George has played in five of six games since returning from a torn UCL. Powell is back after missing 21 games with a broken foot. He played in just three games with the team before getting hurt shortly after he was acquired in a trade from Portland.
“Playing with PG still didn’t seem real to me,” Powell said. “I looked up to him growing up. Early on in my career he gave me some words of encouragement that stuck with me.”
George scored 10 of his team’s first 14 points to start the game. Powell came in for the first time late in the first quarter and hit a jumper.
They started the second quarter together. Powell hit a 3-pointer and a jumper back-to-back, then George found him for another 3-pointer as part of a 22-0 run. 
“We just tried to play off one another,” George said. “The biggest thing for me was playing off the ball and letting Norm get comfortable. He’s a big-time playmaker and scorer off the ball.”
The Suns’ first points didn’t come until 6:49, when former Clipper Landry Shamet hit a 3-pointer.
The Clippers outscored the Suns 34-9 in the second to lead 60-31 going into halftime.
Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.
TIP-INS
Suns: Their 31 points in the first half were the fewest allowed by the Clippers in a half this season. ... JaVale McGee led a rollicking, expletive-filled huddle in the tunnel before the Suns took the court to warm up. ... The Jenner sisters, Kylie and Kendall, who dates Booker, sat opposite the team bench.
Clippers: Split the season series, 2-2. ... A moment of silence was held for Gene Shue, a two-time NBA coach of the year who had two separate stints guiding the Clippers. He died earlier this week at age 90. ... Hall of Famer and Clippers executive Jerry West posed for a photo at halftime with Grammy nominee Saweetie, who sported bright pink hair. ... Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen sat courtside.
15K for PG
George reflected on becoming the 16th active player with at least 15,000 career points.
“I'm just a kid who came literally from the desert,” he said, referring to his high desert hometown of Palmdale north of Los Angeles. “Every time I touch the floor, especially because of the injuries, I’m always grateful for the opportunity.”
He added, “Hopefully, I crack the 20,000 milestone and the 30,000 milestone.”
UP NEXT
Suns: Visit Utah on Friday.
Clippers: Host Sacramento on Saturday in the first game of a back-to-back.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Clippers survived an offensive onslaught by Phoenix's bench in the fourth and hung on for a 113-109 victory

Powell returns, Clippers beat Suns for 3rd straight win

Play-In and playoff time are right around the corner in the dwindling NBA season. As such, most of conversations will understandably revolve around the league's premier teams. It's easy for the teams at the bottom to get lost in the shuffle. They generally reach a point where lottery odds take precedence; in some instances, important young pieces are getting shut down like the veterans are.
I wanted to take a moment to highlight some players who are likely flying under the radar. You have to take post-All-Star break stretches with at least two grains of salt, but this is a time for unheralded players to stretch themselves. In a best-case scenario, they wind up showing you something that transfers to the next season.
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Here are a few players &mdash; just a few! &mdash; who have caught my eye recently.
KILLIAN HAYES
The Stats: 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists (1.4 turnovers), 2.8 steals over last five games&nbsp;
The Skill: Downhill Comfort
It's been a hectic start for Killian Hayes, a high-upside guard project who's had his career derailed by injury woes to this point. Young ball-handlers need live reps to work out the kinks of their game; Hayes hasn't consistently been able to do that, which make his flaws look even worse when he's been on the floor.
Hayes is in the midst of finding himself though. He's one of the most underrated guard defenders in the sport already, boasting off-ball prowess and a knack for getting over or&nbsp;ducking under picks and remaining attached.&nbsp;
Offensively, there's been a bit of a chicken-or-egg ordeal with him. He's shown legit passing chops from the jump, but his ability to create advantages &mdash; via explosive drives or out of fear of his jumper &mdash; hasn't been there. Putting him off-ball has led to teams ignoring him as a threat.
That's what makes Hayes' recent aggression worth paying attention to. This is probably the most I've seen him generate paint touches.
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How about this: Hayes is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;LastNGames=5&amp;TeamID=1610612765&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converting over 68%</a> of his shots via drive over this five-game stretch. That's wildly impressive, and likely unsustainable. The rising drive volume is the key here. After averaging 6.0 drives per game <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612765&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1&amp;SeasonSegment=Pre%20All-Star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before the All-Star break</a>, that number has risen to 7.1. Over the last five, it's up again to 8.8.
If Hayes can get downhill more consistently, that should open up more passing windows for him. If you want to zoom out a bit, that should unlock some off-ball opportunities for Cade Cunningham so he doesn't have to create all the time (even though he's probably good enough to do so.)
Don't sell your Hayes stock, folks.
BRANDON WILLIAMS
The Stats: 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists (2.8 turnovers), 1.6 steals over last five games
The Skill: Pick-and-Roll Passing
The Blazers are an absolute mess right now, but that's mostly fine. They're playing for lotto odds and hoping to make some "keep Damian Lillard" splashes in the offseason.
In the meantime, can I just say I've oddly enjoyed the dynamic between Brandon Williams and Drew Eubanks? Also, did you know Eubanks was averaging nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds over his last five games? You do now!
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But seriously, Williams has a real feel for pocket passing. There's a pace to him that allows him to operate with slower rollers. I've also seen enough skips in his film to say he can make most of the reads you want from him.
The question becomes: What level of a shooter is he going to be? The three-point shooting has fluctuated in both directions since he's been given more reps, and the pull-up middy <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/pullup/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;LastNGames=5&amp;TeamID=1610612757&amp;sort=PULL_UP_FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn't been great either</a>. There's enough craft there to be excited about though. I'm curious to see what he looks like in a more defined role next season.
DAMIAN JONES
The Stats: 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists (1.5 turnovers), 1.8 blocks over last six games
The Skill: Playmaking
Damian Jones had stops with Golden State, Atlanta, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers before landing in Sacramento. Go down the line; you don't think the Dubs could use a vertical spacer like this? Think the Suns would rather have Bismack Biyombo than Jones? Would the Lakers turn down young talent to... well actually, nevermind.
Jones has&nbsp;really&nbsp;been balling since newbie Domantas Sabonis has been out of the lineup. Averaging 17 and 8 is nothing to sneeze at, and he's predictably getting busy as a roll man and glass-cleaner.
What's been interesting &mdash; the Kings are putting the ball in his hands a little. You won't confuse him with Sabonis, but he's been allowed to be a handoff hub in Delay sets. And when the Kings are able to draw two to the ball, Jones hasn't looked entirely out of place as a short-roll decision-maker.
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Expectations of "traditional" centers are changing. If you aren't good enough to build the boat around, you'll need to complement stars with something. Some bigs have attempted to expand their range to the three-point line &mdash; something Jones has dabbled with on occasion this season &mdash; while others are becoming more adept as initiators. That Jones is showing flashes in the latter should add to his value moving forward.
ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI
The Stats: 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 9.0 assists (4.3 turnovers), 0.8 steals over last four games
The Skill: Decision-Making
Let's start right here, because what the heck.
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That is Aleksej Pokusevski getting&nbsp;Chris freakin' Paul&nbsp;on a rip-through foul. After that, you get Pokusevski running a pick-and-roll and freezing Cam Johnson with a jump pass to the corner. The pass accuracy was off, but it's hard not to appreciate the level of manipulation.
It's easy to point to the recent triple-double, but the overarching thing is that Pokusevski looks more comfortable on both ends as of late. The shot is falling for him at nearly a 48% clip &mdash; wildly impressive considering the amount of movement attempts he fires. He's made some real strides on the ball too. He's still trying some wild stuff, but the chaos is more controlled.
Pre-break, Pokusevski had an assist rate of 11.6 and a turnover rate of 16.2. Since then, he's been firmly in the positive (22.0 to 16.7). Both numbers have shot up during this four-game stretch (35.1, 26.2) but, he's still largely been a plus-playmaker statistically.
Skipping steps in pick-and-roll. No-looks in transition. Timely "one more" passes when the ball gets to swinging. The level of ball placement with some of his interior reads should not be possible for a guy his size.
I have been, I am and I will continue to be intrigued by Poku.&nbsp;
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>What Houston Rockets forward KJ Martin brings to the table as a (violent) dunker and weak-side shot-blocker should be well documented at this point. I think he's also firmly proving you can't leave him completely open. I'm not buying him being a 48% shooter from deep like he has been since the All-Star break (on "meh" volume), but the form and touch are to the point where he should be accounted for as a spot-up option.&nbsp;</li>
<li>I'd keep an eye on Markelle Fultz (13.8 points, 5.4 assists, 2.0 steals over his last five) if I were you. The burst looks solid, as does the defense. So much focus has (understandably) been on his injury history and whatever the heck happened with his jumper, but that's one crafty dude with the ball in his hands.</li>
<li>Nothing deep here, just want to say I'm glad Goga Bitadze is showing some signs of life in a weird context. Related: I have no idea what Indiana's big man room is going to look like next season.</li>
</ul>
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Nekias Duncan highlights some young (role) players on struggling teams who are worth keeping an eye on.

Views from the bottom: 4 young NBA players to keep an eye on

After another showcase, flexing their dominance in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns are sick and tired of the disrespect. Before making the jaw-dropping leap to elite, practically overnight, upon the arrival of Chris Paul last season, Phoenix was nothing more than a laughingstock at the bottom of the standings.&nbsp;
Now, as Suns star Devin Booker rightfully pointed out following an impressive 140-130 victory on the road in Denver on Thursday, it&rsquo;s time for this team to rightfully &mdash; as he put it &mdash; earn their flowers on a national level. The team has sixty wins and is well on its way to comfortably finishing with the NBA&rsquo;s best record. That's simply something you can&rsquo;t overlook.
Oh, by the way, Booker bested the likely-MVP favorite in Nikola Jokic by putting up an absurd 49-point, 10-assist performance on the second night of a back-to-back. Forcefully, Booker and the Suns are putting themselves, again, squarely in the national conversation. And it&rsquo;s one that should&rsquo;ve already been brought up months ago.
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&ldquo;Honestly, it&rsquo;s people playing with my name, man. It&rsquo;s just too much for me,&rdquo; Booker said of his view of the national disrespect towards himself and the Suns. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been at it for a long time, and I&rsquo;m the type to see anything and take it as disrespect so that can get me going. The main objective is to win basketball games. They&rsquo;ve been telling me that since I was 18 or 19, so now that we have the No. 1 seed locked up, been winning basketball games for two years straight now. This teams need their flowers. Coach Monty (Williams) should&rsquo;ve been Coach of the Year last year. There&rsquo;s just so much that I feel doesn&rsquo;t get talked about on this team. We&rsquo;ve done a good job about not worrying what people say about us, but it needs some recognition.&rdquo;
Closing in on the best record in Suns franchise history, Booker is right on the money with his assessment. Toiling in mediocrity for the first five years of his career, it's obvious this was pent-up frustration finally spilling free from Booker. Early on in his career, Booker was viewed as a stat-padder who couldn&rsquo;t help elevate a team to win meaningful basketball games. Now, he&rsquo;s averaging 26.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists while carrying a 57.3 True Shooting percentage on the No. 1 team in the Association.
Ramping up for another potential deep postseason run, Booker is putting his game into high gear. Taking over games whenever he pleases, all the while talking back to the naysayers along the way. Booker&rsquo;s offensive explosion on Thursday against the Nuggets ranks high on the list for Suns head coach Monty Williams, as far as best performances under his guidance.
&ldquo;One of the best performances I&rsquo;ve seen him have since I&rsquo;ve been here, because of the variables and obstacles we had. To have 49 and 10 on a back-to-back, it not only backs up what I said pre-game, but the fact that he&rsquo;s not in the MVP conversation is just somewhat silly. When you can will your team to win like that, and do it in the fashion that he did it in tonight &mdash; says a lot about his work ethic, his individual ability, and a lot of other stuff I don&rsquo;t have time to talk about.&rdquo;
The MVP push is on in Phoenix for Booker, the rare young star who stayed when his organization was at its rock bottom a few short years ago. As the Suns organization itself pointed out, twelve players in NBA history have averaged at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on the NBA&rsquo;s best team. All 12 of those occurrences finished with said player winning MVP.
Can Booker actually make a legitimate case alongside the established top three candidates in Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo? It&rsquo;s doubtful at this stage, but there&rsquo;s no doubt that&nbsp;Booker deserves a spot on the All-NBA First Team.
If I had a ballot, here&rsquo;s how I would put together my All-NBA First Team: Ja Morant, Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid. Far and away, those five players have seemed to be the most consistent all season long. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant faded off the radar due to injuries. Luka Doncic received plenty of preseason hype, but he&rsquo;s yet to really elevate into the same category as Booker for MVP-type narrative.
Speaking of narratives, the aforementioned best player on the best team argument is hard to ignore. Booker showed in Chris Paul&rsquo;s 15-game absence that he can carry the load without any issues. During that span, Phoenix finished with an 11-4 record as Booker dominated all along the way.
Thursday saw the return of Paul to the Suns&rsquo; starting lineup, an immediate boost as the future Hall of Fame point guard finished with 17 points and 13 assists. What&rsquo;s so special and unique about the Paul-Booker backcourt pairing is they are wired the exact same way. Both are obsessed with honing their craft, but also crave success at all costs.
As Williams alluded to postgame on Thursday, having two stars who are open to receiving criticism from their coach is rare nowadays. On a team known for its lack of ego, the Suns have this trait in spades with Paul and Booker leading the charge.
&ldquo;When the best players allow themselves to be coached and called out, it means a ton,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;It's certainly not something I take for granted.&rdquo;
Simply put, this version of the Phoenix Suns is special. Not only did Williams echo that same thought after Phoenix&rsquo;s latest win, but Paul and Booker also made note of it as well. When a team has bought-in completely on all levels &mdash; driven more by team success than individual accolades &mdash; the hard part of the puzzle is already accomplished. The type of chemistry Phoenix has within their locker room is rare, and they&rsquo;re bottling up that energy on a run towards what should be another trip to the NBA Finals.
The Suns have an elite head coach, the most dynamic backcourt in the NBA, young players ascending towards their ceilings (Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, Cameron Johnson), plus endless amounts of championship-worthy depth pieces (Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne, Bismack Biyombo).
After the Suns suffered massive heartbreak at the end of last season, folding their cards to the Milwaukee Bucks after taking a 2-0 series lead in the Finals, they&rsquo;ve come back as an even stronger group.
Phoenix still means business, even after notching win No. 60. The team is only a few more wins away from breaking the franchise record, and more boxes still need to be checked for a team chasing greatness.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure the Valley is going nuts right now,&rdquo; Williams said after the Suns clinched the Western Conference&rsquo;s No. 1 seed.
Indeed, Phoenix is host to a true rising from the ashes, into a new golden era of Suns basketball.
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After clinching the Western Conference's No. 1 seed for the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns want their propers.

Dominant Suns tired of disrespect, still taking care of business

Although some top-tier players who were expected to hit free agency this coming summer have already signed extensions, the 2022 NBA free-agent class will feature quite a few stars.
After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top-10-guards">ranking the best guards</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-free-agency-preview-ranking-the-top10-forwards">forwards set to hit the open market</a>, let's complete this series by highlighting the top-10 big men up for grabs this summer. &nbsp;
1. Deandre Ayton &mdash; Phoenix Suns &mdash; Restricted
Deandre Ayton is the crown jewel of this year's free-agent center crop. Although the Suns surprisingly chose not to offer him a max extension last offseason (worth approximately $173 million over five years), Phoenix is still in the driver's seat, as the franchise can match any offer the former No. 1 overall pick receives this summer. Expect them to do just that for a young, improving player who is a foundational cornerstone of a team with championship aspirations.&nbsp;
2. Jusuf Nurkic &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers &mdash; Unrestricted
After a disappointing 2020-21 campaign, Jusuf Nurkic bounced back impressively this season, averaging 15.0 points, a career-high 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 53.5% from the floor. Nurkic has been sidelined by plantar fasciitis for the past month, and will likely miss the rest of the season. However, he'll likely be ready to rock by the start of training camp next September. Due to Nurk's tight bond with Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, many pundits expect Portland to re-sign the big man to a multi-year deal.&nbsp;
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3. Mitchell Robinson &mdash; New York Knicks &mdash; Unrestricted
The Knicks technically have until June 30 to ink Mitchell Robinson to an extension worth up to $48 million over four years. However, the two sides have not yet reached an agreement, so it appears Mitch Rob will be able to test the market for his services. While he has flashed All-NBA Defense upside in short spurts throughout his four-year career, Robinson has battled numerous injuries and baffling inconsistency. His regression at the free-throw line (he's shooting below 50% in each of the past two seasons) is obviously worrisome as well. Nevertheless, few big men can supply the type of high-flying athleticism and rim-protection he brings to the table.
4. Bobby Portis &mdash; Milwaukee Bucks &mdash; Player Option 
With Brook Lopez sidelined for most of the 2021-22 season, Bobby Portis stepped in and stepped up for the Bucks, starting 57 of the team's last 58 games. He is averaging career-highs in scoring (15.1 points), boards (9.1), steals (0.8), blocks (0.8) and made three-pointers (2.0). Portis is currently one of only two players in the NBA averaging at least 9 rebounds and 2 made treys per game. (Luka Doncic and Karl-Anthony Towns are the other two members of this club.) Portis' player option for 2022-23 is only worth $4.6 million, so he is expected to opt-out and search for a significant raise.
5. Ivica Zubac &mdash; Los Angeles Clippers &mdash; Team Option 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Zubac is a bonafide firefighter for LAC. In one possession he 1) traps Trae 28 ft out 2) sprints towards Capela hands up to dissuade the pass to the roller 3) checks Capela and stops the Collins drive 4) gets in front of Capela as the shot goes up and wins the glass battle <a href="https://t.co/OjS3dxuz4P">pic.twitter.com/OjS3dxuz4P</a>
&mdash; Justin W. (@LAClippersFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippersFilm/status/1503470104041861120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Ivica Zubac's team option for next season is $7.5 million, so it's an easy decision for the Clippers to pick it up. He just turned 25 years old last week and continues to improve steadily. Zubac is posting career-highs in just about every statistical category this season.
6. Montrezl Harrell &mdash; Charlotte Hornets &mdash; Unrestricted
Montrezl Harrell has had another productive and efficient season off the bench, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 63.9% across 62 games for both the Wizards and Charlotte Hornets (following a midseason trade).&nbsp;
7. Mo Bamba &mdash; Orlando Magic &mdash; Restricted
After struggling mightily over his first three years in the NBA, Mo Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, is enjoying the best year of his pro career. He is on pace to become the first player in Magic franchise history to average more than 1.5 blocks and 1.0 made three-pointers per game over an entire season. However, the Magic inked center Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million contract extension back in October and have Mo Wagner (brother of their prized rookie, Franz) under contract next season as well. In addition, lineups with both WCJ and Bamba have not performed well. Thus, Orlando will likely let the former lottery pick walk if another team offers a contract the team is uncomfortable matching.&nbsp;
8. Nic Claxton &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Restricted
Nic Claxton continues to impress in limited playing time off the bench for Brooklyn. His per-36 minute averages this season are outstanding: 15.2 points (on 65.1% shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. The Nets have limited depth due to the high salaries of their top players, and billionaire owner Joe Tsai is unafraid of paying the luxury tax, so Brooklyn is expected to match any reasonable offer Claxton receives.&nbsp;
9. Andre Drummond &mdash; Brooklyn Nets &mdash; Unrestricted
Andre Drummond has increased his value following the trade that sent him from Philadelphia to Brooklyn. He has started all 14 games he's played as a Net, and is averaging 11.4 points (on 62.5% shooting), 9.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks for Brooklyn. Drummond can boost his value significantly with a strong showing in the playoffs.&nbsp;
10. Thomas Bryant &mdash; Washington Wizards &mdash; Unrestricted:
Thomas Bryant inked a three-year, $25 million deal back in 2019 and played very well for the Wiz during the first year of that pact, averaging 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in under 25 minutes a night. He also started the following season impressively before tearing his ACL in early 2021. Bryant returned to action in January, but has seen his minutes reduced following Washington's acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis. Still just 24 years old, Bryant could be a worthwhile investment for a team in the market for a young big.&nbsp;
Best of the Rest:
LaMarcus Aldridge, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Isaiah Hartenstein, Hassan Whiteside, Derrick Favors (player option), Tristan Thompson, Kevon Looney, JaMychal Green, Frank Kaminsky, Mike Muscala (team option), Bismack Biyombo
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Tommy Beer ranks the top centers who could be available as a part of the 2022 NBA free-agent class.

2022 NBA Free Agency Preview: Ranking the top-10 centers

I tuned in late for Raptors-Suns on Friday night, but I knew I had to tune in.&nbsp;
A team with a diverse pick-and-roll offense featuring plenty of empty corner ball screens and Spain actions? And you're telling me they got to face off against one of the rangiest, switchiest teams in the sport?
Sign. Me. Up.
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The fourth quarter starts with Phoenix spamming three empty corner ball-screens, all headlined by Cam Payne. On the first, he comes off to his right and makes the one-pass-away swing to Landry Shamet for a contested triple. On the next trip, Payne flows into a contested pull-up with Fred VanVleet trailing him.&nbsp;
The shot misses, is rebounded by JaVale McGee, then kicked back out to Payne. They do the dance again, with Payne touching the paint on this one. A late switch is forced, with Precious Achiuwa picking up Payne on the drive. He contests vertically, but Payne gets a tough one to go.
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My initial thought after the first minute of fourth quarter play: Wow, that was a pretty quiet start for Achiuwa.
And I meant it in a good way.
It's not easy to defend three empty corner actions in a row against an unpredictable spark plug like Payne, while also dealing with the prospect of a lob threat like McGee getting behind you. Those three trips ended with one shot at the rim made my brow raise.
(That also gives me an excuse to drop this: 40 players have defended at least 35 empty corner ball screens since the All-Star break; only four bigs &mdash; Joel Embiid, Isaiah Jackson (!!!), Bam Adebayo and Karl-Anthony Towns &mdash; have allowed stingier marks than Achiuwa, per Second Spectrum.)
It seems counterproductive to appreciate a quiet aspect of Achiuwa, but it's the mark of growth for Toronto's second-year big man.&nbsp;
The flashes have been loud; a grab-and-go sequence here; a thunderous swat there; a poster dunk, just for funsies.
But then there's the other side: the wild passes, the dribble-dribble-dribble-shoot isolations that garner slumped shoulders from his teammates, the eagerness against ball fakes.
It's too early to say Achiuwa has put it together, but his post-All-Star break stretch &mdash; and honestly, you can track the shift back a little further &mdash; has been a step in the right direction.
In nine games since the break, he's averaging 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in a shade under 23 minutes per contest. He has the second-best net rating (plus-1.2) among rotation regulars, trailing only Malachi Flynn.
(Don't forget to set your cuckoo clocks forward an hour tomorrow, friends.)
In true Achiuwa fashion, his True Shooting percentage since the break is both underwhelming (53.6, below league average) and a massive improvement from his pre-break number (46.7). The boom in efficiency can be explained by his three-point shooting; he's drilled 46.2% of his triples on nearly three attempts per contest.
He's been fruitful from the corners, but there's a little bit of diversity present. He's firing off of pick-and-pops. He can space in the corner, but has also shown the willingness to relocate to remain in his driver's line of sight.
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It would be irresponsible to dub Achiuwa as a mid-40s three-point shooter, but his comfort is worth monitoring. There's no hesitation in regards to the shot, and his footwork and shot prep are fine in multiple contexts. If he can cross the "reliable" threshold in the minds of defenses, that can open up his driving game.
Full disclosure: I have no idea what to make of it right now.
He has legit ball skills, and a first step that can best most centers in space. It helps him in grab-and-go situations after defensive rebounds, and there's potential worth exploring in half-court scenarios. This possession from Friday's action is ringing in my head.
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That's Achiuwa popping, pumping, then attacking McGee's top foot and absolutely dusting him off the bounce.&nbsp;
That is&nbsp;also&nbsp;Achiuwa missing Thaddeus Young as Bismack Biyombo rotates over, then getting swatted at the rim as a result.
I'm not sure there's a larger gap between a player's perception and their percentages than Achiuwa at the rim. You'd think a guy with his athletic gifts and measurements would be an elite finisher, but yet:
<ul>
<li>He's converting 55% of his shots at the rim (7th percentile), per Cleaning The Glass</li>
<li>About those ball-skills: Achiuwa is shooting 37.5% (!) on shots via drive since the All-Star break, one of the worst marks in the league</li>
<li>He gets blocked&nbsp;a ton:&nbsp;14.2% of his shots at the rim <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/player?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been swatted</a>, one of the highest marks among qualified players (min: 1000 minutes) per PBP Stats.</li>
</ul>
Passing more would probably help these matters; he's only passing on <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star&amp;TeamID=1610612761&amp;sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10% of his drives</a> since the break, and rarely gives up the rock after offensive rebounds.
On the defensive end, Achiuwa has showcased high level potential. He's incredibly switchable, able to mirror wings and some guards in space while using his 7-3 wingspan as a buffer. Darius Garland didn't have the best time earlier this week.
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That switchiness allows the Raptors to flatten actions in the half-court. Lineups featuring Achiuwa with their core four (VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam) have outscored teams by 5.5 points per 100 possessions behind a stingy defense. Opposing offenses have a three-point rate of 29.1 with that group on the floor, a mark that ranks in the 90th percentile.&nbsp;
While not a great rebounder himself, he does boost Toronto's rebound rate by nearly <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612761&amp;VsPlayerID=1630173&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three percentage points</a> this season. That number has <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/vs/advanced/#!?TeamID=1610612761&amp;VsPlayerID=1630173&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;SeasonSegment=Post%20All-Star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">become more stark</a> since the All-Star break.&nbsp;
The case for starting Achiuwa is what he unlocks defensively, and how his open-floor handling can further help the Raptors push in transition. What's holding him back is his ability to cap or continue possessions &mdash; the finishing has to be much better, and his willingness to move the ball must improve.
I will say, Achiuwa doesn't seem far off. Even with his warts, he's clearly the most talented of Toronto's actual centers. He leads their big man room in fourth quarter minutes &mdash; late-game trust matters more than jump-ball responsibilities, anyway.
Keep an eye on him.
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Nekias Duncan digs into Precious Achiuwa's second-half surge with the Toronto Raptors.

Why doesn't Precious Achiuwa start for the Raptors?

PHOENIX (AP) — Gary Trent Jr. scored 42 points and the Toronto Raptors held off the Phoenix Suns, beating the NBA’s leading team 117-112 on Friday night.
Trent was 8 from 11 from 3-point range and 13 of 21 from the floor. He fell just short of his career high of 44 points set last season. He also had eight rebounds.
Pascal Siakam added 25 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, and Scottie Barnes had 15 points.
The Raptors improved to 36-30, winning two straight after dropping three in a row. That coincides with the return of Fred VanVleet, who missed five games with a knee injury. VanVleet had 10 points and eight rebounds Friday.
Cameron Payne had 24 points for the Suns, and Devin Booker had 22. Booker missed two 3-point attempts in the final minute and was held to three points in the fourth quarter.
Mikael Bridges scored 18 points for Phoenix, DeAndre Ayton had 16 and Jae Crowder 13. The Suns fell to 53-14.
Toronto opened up a 96-82 lead through three quarters. But the Suns rallied with a 20-6 run to tie it at 102 with 4:36 remaining. 
With 3:27 left in the third quarter, Booker fouled Precious Achiuwa on a drive to the basket. Booker was assessed a flagrant foul (penalty one). Achiuwa made two free throws and Fred VanVleet made a 3-pointer to give Toronto its biggest lead to that point at 83-71. The Raptors led by 16 in the period.
SUNS ON THE MEND
Suns point guard Chris Paul (right thumb fracture) continued to practice shooting before the game Friday. 
“It’s awesome, but it’s just part of the normal progression for that kind of injury,” coach Monty Williams said. “We’re happy about it but you have to temper it until he’s able to get to 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5-on-5, which is hard to do with where we are in the season.”
Paul was injured before the All-Star break and is expected to miss another month or so. While Paul is eager to return, Williams says he isn’t concerned that his point guard will try to come back too soon.
“I don’t (worry) because I know how diligent he is about his body. Anytime a guy wants to play I don’t mess with him. (Laughs) It’s when guys don’t want to play that’s (a problem). Our guys love to play.”
Cam Johnson (right quad contusion) continues to improve, Williams said. 
Malachi Flynn (left hamstring strain) and OG Anunoby (fractured finger) remain sidelined for the Raptors.
TIP-INS
Suns C Bismack Biyombo is donating his 2021-22 salary to build a hospital in his native Congo to honor his father, who died of COVID-19 in August.
Biyombo was unsigned this season until joining the Suns in January. He has a one-year, $1.4 million contract. The 11-year veteran, through the foundation that bears his name, donated $1 million in medical supplies to the Congo two years ago for supplies to fight COVID-19.
NEXT
Raptors: At Denver on Saturday night.
Suns: Host Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night

Gary Trent Jr. scored 42 points and the Toronto Raptors held off the Phoenix Suns, beating the NBA’s leading team 117-112.

Gary Trent Jr. scores 42 points, Raptors hold off Suns

Tommy Beer is back with his latest version of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings. To read last week's version, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-suns-remain-redhot-bucks-continue-to-climb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.
The Denver Nuggets are red-hot, thanks primarily to the MVP-caliber play of Nikola Jokic, while the Brooklyn Nets have gone ice-cold, losing 11 of their past 17 games.&nbsp;
1. Phoenix Suns (40-9) &harr;️ Last Week: 1&nbsp;
With their victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, the Suns became the first team in the league to reach the 40-win plateau. In the process, they guaranteed themselves the Western Conference's best record going into the All-Star break, which means head coach Monty Williams will coach the West in Cleveland later this month. And <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/are-the-suns-somehow-flying-under-the-radar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as valuable as soon-to-be All-Stars such as Chris Paul and Devin Booker have been</a> this year, Phoenix has received surprisingly solid contributions from mid-season signing Bismack Biyombo, who is averaging 14.1 points and 10.4 rebounds over the Suns' last seven games. Phoenix is undefeated, a perfect 12-0, in the 12 games Biyombo has appeared in this season.&nbsp;
2. Golden State Warriors (38-13) &harr;️ Last Week: 2 
Steph Curry had been ice cold (at least by his standards) over the first 15 games the Warriors played in January and the first three quarters of Golden State's game vs. the Houston Rockets on Monday night. But in the final frame, Steph played like Steph, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Warriors to their sixth consecutive win. "We've seen Steph do that a million times," head coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "It was bound to happen even though it's been a couple of weeks or whatever. Not surprising, but fun to see him shake free and have a game like he did." &nbsp; 3. Memphis Grizzlies (35-18) &harr;️ Last Week: 3
Ja Morant poured in 37 points and Desmond Bane scored a career-high 34, but it wasn't enough to knock off the Philadelphia 76ers on the road Monday night. Remarkably, it was the seventh straight game with at least 30 points for Morant. That's the longest such streak in Grizzlies franchise history. During this seven-game span, Ja is averaging 35.4 points (while shooting over 50%), 7.3 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 three-pointers.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a> got the win in OT while Tyrese Maxey &amp; Ja Morant both dropped 30+points in their duel!<a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaMorant</a>: 37 PTS, 5 REB, AST<a href="https://twitter.com/TyreseMaxey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TyreseMaxey</a>: 33 PTS, 8 AST, 4 BLK <a href="https://t.co/Fcgh05taaI">pic.twitter.com/Fcgh05taaI</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1488512620630061060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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4. Philadelphia 76ers (31-19) ⬆️ Last Week: 9
With MVP-contender Joel Embiid resting&nbsp; Monday night vs. Memphis, the Sixers needed Andre Drummond and the rest of the squad to step up. And that's just what they got. Drummond racked up 16 points and 23 rebounds, Tobias Harris scored 31 and Tyrese Maxey pumped in a season-high with 33 points to go along with 8 assists, 4 blocks and 3 assists in the impressive overtime win over the Grizzlies.
5. Miami Heat (32-19) ⬇️ Last Week: 4
Miami was extremely shorthanded in its loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday, forced to play without Jimmy Butler (toe), P.J. Tucker (knee) and point guard Kyle Lowry (personal). The Heat, who still have five contests left on their arduous six-game road trip, plays in Toronto on Tuesday, the second night of a back-to-back. &nbsp;
6. Chicago Bulls (31-18) ⬆️ Last Week: 8
The NBA announced last week that DeMar DeRozan will be a starter in this year's All-Star game. It's the first time a Bull has been a starter since 2017, and will mark DeRozan's fifth appearance as an All-Star. On the season, he's averaging 26.4 points per game (his highest scoring average since 2016-17) and is the only player in the league averaging over 25.0 points while making less than one three-pointer per contest.
7. Denver Nuggets (28-21) ⬆️ Last Week: 12
The Nuggets are rolling right now. They've won five consecutive contests (tied for their longest winning streak this season), including starting their current six-game road trip with four straight victories. During this five-game streak, Nikola Jokic is somehow averaging a triple-double (27.0 points, 12.4 rebounds and 10.0 assists) despite logging fewer than 33 minutes a night.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 6
The Cavs were embarrassed Sunday in Detroit and were missing Darius Garland due to a sore lower back on Monday, but Brandon Goodwin stepped in and stepped up, finishing with a career-high 21 points in a win over the Pelicans. Cleveland trailed by 10 points in the final frame, but came back to secure a much-needed victory over New Orleans.&nbsp;
9. Milwaukee Bucks (31-21) ⬇️ Last Week: 5
The Bucks lost 2 of the 3 games they played last week, and their only victory was a home win over the struggling New York Knicks. Sunday's loss to the Nuggets in Milwaukee was particularly disheartening, as Denver humiliated the home team 136-100. The Bucks will look to get back on track Tuesday in Minnesota.&nbsp;
10. Dallas Mavericks (29-22) &harr;️ Last Week: 10
The Mavs had won 3 of 4 (and 7 of 9) before suffering a disappointing loss to the Magic in Orlando on Sunday. The defeat can't be pinned on Luka Doncic, who stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. It was the 43rd triple-double of his career, moving him into a tie for 10th-most triple-doubles in NBA history, which is incredible considering the kid is just 22 years old.&nbsp;
11. Utah Jazz (30-21) ⬇️ Last Week: 7
The Jazz, who have lost 9 of their last 11 games, received devastating news Monday. The team confirmed that Joe Ingles will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season (and a chunk of the 2022-23 season) after an MRI revealed he tore the ACL in his left knee. Ingles, who was the runner-up to teammate Jordan Clarkson for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award last season, is in the final year of a $13 million contract.&nbsp;
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12. Brooklyn Nets (29-20) ⬇️ Last Week: 11
The Nets have lost four games in a row, and things don't get any easier moving forward; they have four games left on their West Coast road swing, which resumes Tuesday night in Phoenix. In the 17 games they've played dating back to Dec. 30, Brooklyn is just 6-11. That's the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, behind only the Magic and Indiana Pacers.&nbsp;
13. Charlotte Hornets (28-23) &harr;️ Last Week: 13
The Hornets are 2-3 over their past five games, and even in their wins, they have been porous defensively. The Hornets allowed their opponents to score at least 113 points in each of those five contests.&nbsp;
14. Toronto Raptors (25-23) ⬇️ Last Week: 17
The Raps have registered two extremely impressive victories over the past few days. On Saturday, they outlasted the Heat in an epic three-overtime slugfest in Miami, and then beat the red-hot Hawks in Atlanta on Monday night.&nbsp;
15. Boston Celtics (27-25) ⬆️ Last Week: 16
The C's took advantage of a banged-up Heat team Monday, beating Miami by 30 points. It was Boston's fourth victory in their last five games. Jaylen Brown is averaging 29.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 made treys over his last four contests. &nbsp;
16. Atlanta Hawks (24-26) ⬆️ Last Week: 20
Playing without Trae Young, who was sidelined by a right shoulder contusion he suffered on Sunday, the Hawks had their seven-game winning streak snapped Monday night. Delon Wright was inserted into the starting lineup but struggled, shooting just 1 of 7 en route to 4 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-25) ⬇️ Last Week: 14
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
back on track. KAT - 31 pts. / 11 reb. / 10 ast. / 2 stl. Jaden - 22 pts. / 2 reb. / 4 ast. Ant - 15 pts. / 3 reb. / 4 ast. / 1 stl. J-Mac - 12 pts. / 1 reb. / 4 ast. / 4 stl. Jaylen - 10 pts. / 1 reb. / 5 ast. TP - 10 pts. / 7 reb. / 1 ast. / 2 stl. <a href="https://t.co/YP46pW4vjL">pic.twitter.com/YP46pW4vjL</a>
&mdash; Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1488003858261413890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After losing back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday (at Golden State and Phoenix), Karl-Anthony Towns got the Wolves back on track Sunday, erupting for 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists (vs. just a single turnover) and 2 steals in the Timberwolves 20-point victory over the Jazz. It was KAT's second career triple-double. Jaden McDaniels also chipped in 22 points (on perfect 9 of 9 shooting), 4 assists and 3 treys in 27 minutes off the bench.&nbsp;
18. Los Angeles Lakers (24-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 15
It was reported over the weekend that LeBron James underwent an MRI that revealed general swelling in his knee. James has missed each of the Lakers' past three contests due to the injury and is expected to miss more. With L.A. having lost each of the three games LeBron sat out last week, it will be very interesting to see if the team can stay around .500.&nbsp;
19. Los Angeles Clippers (26-27) ⬆️ Last Week: 21 
On Monday, the Clippers wrapped an eight-game road swing with a loss to the Pacers in Indiana; however, the Clippers went a respectable 4-4 on the trip. They now return home to host the Lakers and Bucks later this week before embarking on another three-game road trip.
20. Washington Wizards (23-26) ⬇️ Last Week: 18
The Wizards are riding a five-game losing streak and are staring down the barrel of a brutal back-to-back. They have to play the Bucks in Milwaukee on Tuesday and the surging Sixers in Philly on Wednesday. Oh, and the Wiz will be without their best player, Bradley Beal, who is nursing a sprained left wrist.
21. New York Knicks (24-27) ⬇️ Last Week: 19
On Monday, the Knicks snapped a three-game losing skid by beating the Sacramento Kings in MSG. Quentin Grimes chipped in 14 points off the bench in the victory and played very well on the defensive end. The rookie is averaging more than 24 minutes a night over New York's last four games, as he has secured a spot in coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation due to his impressive, all-around skill set.&nbsp;
22. Portland Trail Blazers (21-30)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 22
Larry Nance Jr. has been sidelined since Jan. 6 due to right knee inflammation, but head coach Chauncey Billups told reporters over the weekend that Nance "is progressing every day" and "getting better." However, Billups said there is still no firm timeline for Nance's return.&nbsp;
23. New Orleans Pelicans (18-32)&nbsp;&harr;️ Last Week: 23
Brandon Ingram has been sidelined five straight games due to a right ankle sprain, and the Pelicans have lost each of the last four contests he's missed. There is a possibility he returns to action Tuesday night when New Orleans travels to Detroit.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (19-32) ⬆️ Last Week: 26
Despite playing without Derrick White (rest), Dejounte Murray (left knee contusion) and Jakob Poeltl (low back soreness) Sunday in Phoenix, the Spurs hung tough with the Suns. In fact, they had a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter before Phoenix sprinted past them at the finish. Murray has been playing at an incredibly high level this month, averaging 22.9 points, 10.1 assists and 9.4 rebounds over his previous 10 games.&nbsp;
25. Indiana Pacers (19-33) ⬇️ Last Week: 24
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Isaiah Jackson had 26 points and 10 rebounds in his first NBA start. It's so easy for him to be productive just by embracing rolling hard and playing above the rim. Important to note that he made a three too <a href="https://t.co/HOqDJ77DL7">pic.twitter.com/HOqDJ77DL7</a>
&mdash; Wilko (@wilkomcv) <a href="https://twitter.com/wilkomcv/status/1488372533673951235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Domantas Sabonis entered the COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Monday afternoon. However, the Pacers were still able to beat the Clippers that night, thanks mainly to a breakout performance from rookie Isaiah Jackson. With Goga Bitadze (foot) and Oshae Brissett (right ankle soreness) also sidelined, Jackson made his first career start and responded with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.
26. Sacramento Kings (18-34)&nbsp;⬇️ Last Week: 25
The Kings have lost seven in a row, and Monday's loss to the Knicks in New York was their 12th straight defeat on the road. It's been two months since their last road victory, which came on Dec. 1. De'Aaron Fox (sore left ankle) has missed each of Sacramento's last four games, but head coach Alvin Gentry said Monday that Fox is "feeling much better" and is "not concerned" about the injury being a long-term issue.&nbsp;
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (15-34)&nbsp;⬆️ Last Week: 29
Thunder fans got some bad news over the weekend when it was announced that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who suffered a right ankle sprain Friday against the Pacers, will be out at least through the All-Star Break.&nbsp;
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28. Detroit Pistons (12-37) &harr;️ Last Week: 28
Cade Cunningham missed all 10 of his field-goal attempts and was scoreless in the first half of Sunday's game vs. the Cavs. However, Cunningham put the Pistons on his back after halftime, scoring 19 points over the final two quarters to lead Detroit to an impressive victory over Cleveland. He finished the win with 10 rebounds, 10 assists (vs. just 2 turnovers) and 3 steals.
29. Orlando Magic (11-40) ⬆️ Last Week: 30
The Magic have won 3 of their last 4, with two of their most impressive victories of the season coming on successive Sundays (wins over the Bulls and Mavs). Franz Wagner poured in 18 points to help beat Dallas, including the clutch layup in the final minute. Over his last five games, Wagner is averaging 19.2 points and 4.0 assists while shooting a scorching 61.3% from the floor, 41.7% from downtown and 93.8% from the free-throw line
30. Houston Rockets (14-36) ⬇️ Last Week: 27
Christian Wood did his part, tallying 24 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block on Monday vs. Warriors, but it wasn't enough to knock off Golden State. The Rockets' loss to the Warriors was Houston's fourth consecutive defeat and their 11th in a row at home.
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Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.

NBA Power Rankings: Nuggets and 76ers on the come up, Nets sliding

Here&rsquo;s a question: Why isn&rsquo;t anyone talking about the Phoenix Suns?&nbsp;
Look, maybe that line of questioning is a tad bit too hyperbolic, but is it fair to say the general discourse around them hasn&rsquo;t exactly been in line with a team off to a historically great start? Have the Suns entered that &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t care what you do until it&rsquo;s playoff time&rdquo; tier already? In just Year 2 of the Chris Paul and Devin Booker era?&nbsp;
The Suns are on pace to win 67 games this season. Read that again. 67 games. Only 10 teams in NBA history have won 67 games or more since the NBA merger in 1976. Of those teams, seven won the NBA championship that season. Phoenix is somehow soaring in rarefied air while flying deeply under the radar.
That said, the Suns haven&rsquo;t completely oozed that &ldquo;we&rsquo;re going to decimate you at all costs&rdquo; machismo that teams like the 1996 Chicago Bulls (72 wins) or the 2017 Golden State Warriors (67 wins) have flaunted in the past. If the season ended today, Phoenix&rsquo;s Net Rating of plus-7.9 would be the lowest of any team with a .805 winning percentage or better.&nbsp;
Winning games with that margin of victory places the Suns in a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DAjxnZZzGQTPQptxsNWRxfDCgUOMVazPeJ6kQUTrgJY/edit#gid=0">different threshold</a>, one that accrues around 64 to 65 wins in a single season. (Think, the 2018 Houston Rockets or the 2006 Detroit Pistons.) That is to say &mdash; though the Suns haven&rsquo;t necessarily profiled as a historically dominant juggernaut (at least according to this specific metric) &mdash; they&rsquo;re still an extremely dangerous squad, and a rightful favorite to hoist the Larry O&rsquo;Brien in June. They&rsquo;ve somehow improved in every facet after nearly squeaking out a title last season. This team doesn&rsquo;t mess around.
Balance is the first thing that comes to mind when musing about this talented Suns group. Phoenix is the only team in the NBA that ranks in the top-five in both offense and defense, per Cleaning the Glass, and is currently on the longest winning streak in the league with 10 straight. They&rsquo;ve weathered the storms that have formed from the rocky seas of the 2022 season; whether it was Devin Booker&rsquo;s hamstring strain in early December, the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/evansidery/2021/12/31/phoenix-suns-roster-ravaged-by-covid-19/?sh=e602a12ac869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID-19 protocols</a> at the turn of the new year or Deandre Ayton&rsquo;s extended absence. Nothing seems to faze these dudes; they've got the confidence of a college senior strutting around campus during syllabus week.
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So, about that straightjacket-tight defensive unit, which currently sits at second-best overall &mdash; Phoenix&rsquo;s defense adheres to the analytical rule of the land: minimizing at-rim shots (No. 3 in the NBA) and corner threes (No. 4) while allowing boatloads of shots from the midrange (No. 28). Schematics fuel such a sharp and pronounced analytical profile, as Phoenix has settled into running mostly drop coverage with Ayton on the mend.&nbsp;
Phoenix&rsquo;s guards and wings have taken a liking to &ldquo;ICE-ing&rdquo; ball-screens and funneling opponents toward its bigs; JaVale McGee, who remains submerged in a deep drop coverage where he can thwart opponents with his 7-foot-6 wingspan, and newcomer Bismack Biyombo, who plays slightly closer to the level of screens to flash his quick hands for an average of 2.9 stocks (steals and blocks) per 36 minutes.&nbsp;
It makes perfect sense for Phoenix to allow its smaller players to dictate defensive possessions in the pick-and-roll. Chris Paul is as pesky and persistent of a point-of-attack defender as ever. Devin Booker has taken a stupendous defensive leap, playing up into dudes with proclivity while showcasing increased attentiveness away from the action. Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges form a nearly unrivaled cadre of wings, each player bringing size (Crowder), length (Johnson), guileful cunningness or a combination of the traits mentioned (Bridges).
Phoenix has found its blueprint to defensive success thanks to feisty screen navigation, switchability 1-through-4 and sturdy defensive anchoring. The Suns rank second at neutralizing isolations, defend the half-court better than all but two teams and smother enemy-transition opportunities with more proficiency than anyone in the Association.
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Here&rsquo;s a great example of Phoenix&rsquo;s defensive fluidity from the first of the two games against the Utah Jazz. To start, Paul and Booker exchange like-sized matchups (Danuel House Jr. and Trent Forrest) to keep the ball up front. Rudy Gay then sets a screen for House to cut to the rim, which Johnson and Paul expertly snuff out with a switch. Utah then flows into Gay setting a pindown screen for Jordan Clarkson, and so Phoenix trades assignments yet again to place Paul on Clarkson and Bridges on Gay. When Gay comes to set a ball-screen for Forrest, the Suns &mdash; yup, you guessed it &mdash; switch once more for Phoenix&rsquo;s fourth matchup exchange in 10 seconds.
Utah now has 5 seconds to make something happen. Knowing this, McGee hedges the pick-and-roll to slow Clarkson in his tracks and force a pickup of his dribble. Rather than hitting Hassan Whiteside in the short roll, Clarkson lofts a skip pass to Forrest in the weak-side corner. Booker spots Bridges camped out in the paint to tag Whiteside, so Book bumps down to the corner to cover for his teammate while Bridges instinctively "X&rsquo;s out" and grabs Booker&rsquo;s man, Gay. Phoenix&rsquo;s holistic team effort is fittingly awarded with a shot clock violation.&nbsp;
Together, you&rsquo;re looking at a well-oiled machine of whirring gears and gizmos that produces turnovers on an assembly line; the Suns are currently the eighth-best team at generating opponent giveaways and are scoring 1.30 points per possession after doing so, fifth-best in the NBA, per InPredictable.
Phoenix&rsquo;s offense operates with similarly devastating exactitude, capable of evaporating defenses in almost any setting. There&rsquo;s a certain level of precision to the flow of Monty Williams&rsquo; group, like using a ruler to draw a straight line, his players unified with the purpose of discovering corridors of opportunity against skittish defenses. The Suns&rsquo; half-court offense ranks No. 3 in the NBA behind only Atlanta and Utah (hello, shot creation!), and they terrorize in transition with the fifth-best fastbreak efficiency in the NBA. There&rsquo;s simply no hiding from Phoneix, and not a second spared for defenders to catch their breath.&nbsp;
Phoenix&rsquo;s spacing is among the league&rsquo;s best, with six rotation players shooting better than league-average (36.1%) on catch-and-shoots &mdash; two of which are Johnson and Booker, each posting career-highs in such situations at 42.9% and 41.9% respectively. The Suns have the luxury of consistently featuring multiple plus-shooters on the weak side of the court, which stresses help defenders tasked with covering up for defensive leaks.&nbsp;
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Here, the Suns run an empty-side pick-and-roll with Paul, Johnson and Landry Shamet flanking the weak side. When Lance Stephenson shades over to stop the drive, it opens up the easy kick-out to Shamet in the corner. Note: Because Johnson is such a hellishly-effective marksman, Chris Duarte feigns at sinking down to the corner to cover for Stephenson.
It helps that the Suns are helmed by perhaps the best, most versatile playbook practitioner in Monty Williams. Here, take a gander at arguably the most aesthetically-pleasing offense in the NBA:
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To open the game against the Jazz on Jan. 24, the Suns used Booker in some &ldquo;Hawk&rdquo; action by having him screech off a back screen from Johnson to the basket. Phoenix then flows into double pick-and-roll for Paul with Johnson and McGee screening. Meanwhile, on the weak side, Bridges sets an exit screen (or &ldquo;pin-in&rdquo; screen) for Booker to scurry to the corner.&nbsp;
Utah panics for a second, as Clarkson and House are unsure if they&rsquo;re supposed to switch; and so, Bridges tactically slips to the rim. Meanwhile, Whiteside, Utah&rsquo;s rim protector, is preoccupied with the action on the strongside &mdash; Johnson flying off a "veer" screen from McGee. Thus, an open layup for Bridges.
40 seconds later, Phoenix went to the exact same play, with Booker first streaking off a Hawk screen, and the Suns fluidly moving into a double ball-screen for Paul with an exit screen on the weak side. This time, however, instead of hitting Bridges with a pass, CP3 finds Johnson tearing off that veer screen from McGee while Forrest inexplicably goes under (??) the pick. Three points to the Valley Boyz.
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Now, think about the plethora of options that Phoenix has at its disposal at any given moment with this specific set.&nbsp;
Paul can hit Booker on the Hawk cut to the basket. He can also find McGee rolling to the rim or Johnson popping to the three-point line after the double pick-and-roll. Paul has the option to pass to Booker coming off the exit screen in the corner, or he has room to sling the ball to Bridges slipping the exit screen. Dishing the ball to Johnson cutting off the veer screen is also an option, and if the defense plays up higher, a lob to McGee after setting the veer screen is definitely imaginable.&nbsp;
From just one play, that&rsquo;s seven different possible options to pick from, with one of the best passers in the league leading the charge. Now do you see why this Suns team is such a nightmare to deal with?
Speaking of which, man, oh man does Phoenix have Paul&rsquo;s fingerprints all over it once again. The Suns have continued to caretake the basketball better than all but five teams in the league, a hallmark of any team helmed by CP3; though, this year they&rsquo;re playing faster than any Paul-led offense ever relative to the competition, slotting in at No. 7 in the NBA&rsquo;s pace ranking.
Phoenix is absolutely blitzing teams in the clutch, yet another telltale sign of Paul&rsquo;s basketball DNA. Actually, &ldquo;blitzing teams&rdquo; is putting it lightly. In the last 5 minutes of games decided by 5 points or less, Phoenix is winning those minutes by a blistering 44.7 points per 100 possessions. For context, second in crunch-time NET are the Washington Wizards with 22.6 points per 100 possessions. Yup, you&rsquo;re reading that correctly. Phoenix is nearly doubling the productivity of its nearest competitor in close games. So yeah, maybe &ldquo;eviscerating opponents with no regard for human life&rdquo; is a better way to put it.&nbsp;
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Hold up.
For a second, can we stop to appreciate what Chris Paul is doing in his 17th season? Seriously, it doesn&rsquo;t make a lick of sense. Just thinking about it scatters my brain in every direction like hitting the shuffle button on your entire music library. For all the chatter about LeBron James&rsquo; productivity in Year 19, it&rsquo;s Paul &mdash; a 36-year-old and a barely 6-foot point-guard &mdash; that is breaking any and all parameters for what is possible for players of his ilk.
For starters, he&rsquo;s just one of 11 players in NBA history to even play an NBA game at his age and height. Oh, and he&rsquo;s yet to miss a single contest this NBA season. But Paul isn&rsquo;t just suiting up for games with Cal Ripken Jr. consistency; he&rsquo;s by far having the most productive season of all-time for a smaller, older guard. He&rsquo;s the only non-big-man player in the NBA to rank within the top-seven in Basketball Reference&rsquo;s win shares, which measures the estimated number of wins contributed by a specific player. (This statistic tends to favor larger-sized players, for reference).
Here&rsquo;s another fun stat: Paul is also the only player this season who's racked up at least 500 assists and 50 steals. (He&rsquo;s got 507 dimes and 92 swipes entering play on Feb. 1.)
Nothing emblematizes the Chris Paul effect&trade; more than the recent surge from Bismack Biyombo, who was originally acquired on Jan. 1 via a 10-day hardship deal. The dude has been finishing literally everything in the pick-and-roll while being spoon-fed a consistent diet of pinpoint passes from CP3, and the Suns are averaging 1.29 points per possession when Biyombo is involved as a ball-screener (81st percentile). The Suns are plus-4.6 points per 100 possessions better as a team when Biyombo shares the floor with Paul versus with him off it. Phoenix&rsquo;s profitable pairing has produced a plethora of plucky highlights.&nbsp;
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The Suns appear to be without a weakness, not even a soft spot in the armor. Their defense ranks among the elites at containing fastbreaks and half-court attacks, and they&rsquo;re just as proficient at creating buckets with an advantage in transition or against set defenses. Phoenix&rsquo;s depth is rivaled by few in the league, with the lineup flexibility to ooze and conform to a bushel of opponents. The biggest questions may pertain to the team's ceiling &mdash; namely, can the Suns win a championship without a bona fide Tier-1 star or a top-seven NBA player? (That said, a pair of Tier-2 guys isn&rsquo;t exactly a bad consolation prize).
Still, in a league that&rsquo;s plagued with questions about availability (howdy, Brooklyn and Golden State!), the Suns appear to be the surest bet to finish the season as the last team standing. Shoot, even if Brooklyn and Golden State manage to get healthy, Phoenix could still very well be the correct answer.
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Matt Brooks dives into the film to illustrate what makes the Suns so dangerous and why we should be talking about them more.

Are the Phoenix Suns somehow flying under the radar?

Chris Paul has been to the All-Star Game 11 times in his NBA career and &mdash; barring a mammoth snub &mdash; is headed there for No. 12 next month.
Now coach Monty Williams will get to join him for the first time.
Devin Booker scored 28 points, Mikal Bridges added a season-high 26 and the Phoenix Suns overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 on Sunday night.
The NBA-leading Suns became the first team in the league with 40 wins &mdash; against only nine losses. The victory ensured that Phoenix will have the best record in the Western Conference at the All-Star break, which means Williams and his staff get to lead Team LeBron in Cleveland on Feb. 20.
Paul said getting Williams the All-Star head coaching honor has been top of mind for the players over the past week or two.
&ldquo;Over the course of the long season, there's nothing wrong with having a little benchmark, a little goal,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;I'm just happy for Monty, happy for our staff. That's cool."
Booker hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the fourth to turn a two-point deficit into a 112-108 lead with 1:18 left. He finished 12 of 24 from the field, going 4 of 9 from 3-point range.
The Spurs took a 91-79 lead into the final quarter, but the Suns erased that advantage in less than 3 1/2 minutes. They used a 14-point run &mdash; highlighted by Cam Johnson's powerful one-handed jam &mdash; to take a 96-93 lead.
The game stayed tight from that point forward until Booker's two big shots pushed the Suns ahead for good. Booker didn't have a particularly great shooting game until that point, but was clutch when needed.
&ldquo;I just know he's not afraid to take the shot,&rdquo; Williams said.
Paul had another huge game with 20 points, 19 assists and eight rebounds, just two nights after he had his 18th career triple-double. Bridges shot 11 of 16 from the field.
Williams said he appreciated how his players wanted him to receive the All-Star honor.
&ldquo;It's a huge blessing to be in this position where you can be the caretaker of an organization and represent the city, the team, your family,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I'm mindful of all the sacrifices that people make so I can be in this position. It's a team effort for sure.&rdquo;
Doug McDermott led San Antonio with 24 points. Lonnie Walker IV added 22 off the bench.
JaVale McGee returned to the Suns after missing two games with left knee soreness. Starters Deandre Ayton (right ankle sprain) and Jae Crowder (left wrist contusion) and key backup Cameron Payne (right wrist sprain) remained out.
The Spurs were missing three starters, guards Derrick White (rest) and Dejounte Murray (left knee contusion) and forward Jakob Poeltl (low back soreness). Even so, San Antonio pushed the NBA's best team until nearly the final buzzer.
&ldquo;There was nobody that played badly,&rdquo; Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;They played together, we were physical, we had great pace. They played with confidence against a hell of a team. Sure, I want fewer mistakes and I want a win, but it is hard to ask for more than what they gave tonight."
San Antonio shot 54% in the first quarter to take a 31-23 lead and had a 55-50 advantage at halftime.
Tre Jones led the Spurs with 13 points before the break while McDermott added 12. Booker had 15 points for the Suns, who shot just 3 of 19 (15.8%) from 3-point range.
WAINRIGHT'S TIME
In the closing minutes, the Suns had an unfamiliar face on the floor &mdash; forward Ish Wainright.
The muscular 6-foot-5, 235-pound rookie finished with a career-high 10 points, including a bucket late in the fourth. He hit two 3-pointers, grabbed two rebounds and blocked two shots. Wainright's received more playing time in recent weeks since the Suns have had several players out with injuries.
&ldquo;It was fun, real fun,&rdquo; Wainright said. &ldquo;To have a coach that trusts you every single game, that means a lot.&rdquo;
Wainright has a football frame and played both basketball and football in college at Baylor. He finally broke into the NBA with the Suns this season at 27 years old.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Guard Josh Primo, a rookie who recently turned 19 years old, finished with 13 points, which was two from his career high.
Suns: Hosted a sellout crowd at the Footprint Center for an 11th straight game. ... F Bismack Biyombo had his 64th career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. ... G Landry Shamet left the court in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. He finished with three points in 17 minutes.
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Golden State on Monday night.
Suns: Host Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Mikal Bridges added a season-high 26 and the Suns overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

NBA-best Suns rally for 10th straight win, top Spurs 115-110

The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of a historically dominant start to their 2021-22 season. Sitting 30 games above .500 with a 39-9 record, they're creating comfortable distance atop the reloaded Western Conference.
Following a jaw-dropping run to the NBA Finals after missing the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, Phoenix is poised to make another run for the Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy. Not only is the Suns&rsquo; roster even stronger than it was last season, but they still have wiggle room to make another big-time move to shake up the hierarchy amongst title contenders.
Two weeks away from the trade deadline, could Phoenix be in a perfect position to swoop in and acquire another win-now piece to its already filled-out puzzle? Suns general manager James Jones, who <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/burns-gambo/james-jones-suns-general-manager-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared on Arizona Sports&rsquo; 98.7 FM on Wednesday</a>, was very coy about their potential intentions.
&ldquo;I always love that question,&rdquo; Jones said when asked about if the Suns will be buyers in a few weeks. &ldquo;People are always like, &lsquo;How aggressive will you be at the trade deadline?&rsquo; And I&rsquo;m always the same. I like my team. I like what we have.&rdquo;
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Jones, who is known for keeping his cards close to the vest since taking over as GM in Phoenix, isn&rsquo;t going to let everyone in the Association know who or what position the front office is targeting. At this point, it&rsquo;s well known that the Suns are one of the teams who never let anything leak out on their end. A polar opposite approach from former Suns GM Ryan McDonough, Jones lets the action come to him instead, which he implied on Wednesday.
&ldquo;If opportunities come to improve my team, I&rsquo;ll look at them,&rdquo; Jones <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/burns-gambo/james-jones-suns-general-manager-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;But every team is trying to do the same thing at the trade deadline, so unless you catching somebody who absolutely does not want to compete, you&rsquo;re really talking about lateral moves. I trust our continuity and our flow. I&rsquo;m focused on our guys and how we can improve internally. But I&rsquo;ll always say, the team I assemble in the summer is the team I believe in, and the longer we play together, the better we are. I guess that&rsquo;s a long way of saying: I like where we are.&rdquo;
So, let&rsquo;s dissect Jones&rsquo; answer a little bit further here.
Unless you catching somebody who absolutely does not want to compete.
Well, I can name multiple teams immediately off the top of my head who look to be sellers approaching the deadline &mdash; Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers &mdash; who all have players that could help put Phoenix over the top even further.
Again, Jones isn&rsquo;t going to let his intentions out, but the iron is scorching hot for the Suns to strike via multiple avenues. Not only can the Suns cobble together assets to really go after any significant bench piece around the NBA, they also can maneuver the roster around to be serious buyers for ring-chasing veterans in the buyout market. Thaddeus Young, who continues to collect DNP-CDs for the San Antonio Spurs, has long been linked to eventually land in Phoenix. With his trade value drying out with the Spurs, there&rsquo;s a lot of smoke surrounding him eventually landing in the Valley.
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Its might not seem appealing on the surface, but Phoenix actually has enough assets to put together an attractive package to a team selling at the deadline. Any combination of the following players would put Phoenix in a position to chase a significant rotational upgrade: Jalen Smith, Dario Saric, Landry Shamet, Elfrid Payton.
For example, the combined salaries of Saric, Shamet and either Smith or Payton would be enough to chase after Houston&rsquo;s Eric Gordon. Immediately, Gordon would provide much-needed juice to the Suns&rsquo; guard rotation. And if the price also includes a future first-round pick, which would be 2024 for Phoenix after the Chris Paul trade, the title window is right now so it shouldn&rsquo;t be a real debate internally.
Another scenario revolves around versatile Thunder wing Kenrich Williams, who instantly provides an ideal upgrade as the Suns' last wing above Abdel Nader. OKC reportedly wants a first-round pick for Williams, which Phoenix can do simply by swapping out Nader and a pick for Williams.
As you can see, there are multiple ways the already-dominant Suns can be become absolutely terrifying for a deep postseason run.
Could you imagine if the Suns landed one of Williams or Gordon, then signed Young on the buyout market? Here&rsquo;s what Phoenix&rsquo;s rotation would look like in the scenario they acquired Gordon and Young (hypothetical trade package for Gordon includes Shamet, Saric, Smith):
Starters: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
Second Unit: Cameron Payne, Eric Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Thaddeus Young, Bismack Biyombo
Although many wouldn&rsquo;t assume the Suns to be serious buyers at the trade deadline with their current record, the timing is setting up perfectly for them to pounce. The window to compete for championships is right now, over the next few years, as the Paul/Booker backcourt continues to burn defenses with ease.
When the Suns have made big moves, they've usually come out of nowhere. That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m recommending you keep a very close eye on what happens in the Valley over the next few weeks.
Things are about to get very interesting, I&rsquo;ll assure you that.
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With a 39-9 record, the Suns are poised to strike while the iron is hot for their championship window.

Why the Suns are a sneaky team to watch at the NBA trade deadline

When Chris Paul joined Devin Booker on the Phoenix Suns after a trade last season, it wasn&rsquo;t always easy to decide who would be the finisher when games got tight.
These days, it&rsquo;s just intuitive. Such as Wednesday night, when Booker fueled the Suns through three quarters and Paul sealed the deal.
Booker had 43 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds, Paul scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Suns extended their winning streak to eight with a 105-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good feeling now, but it came with a learning curve,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;There was a lot of trial and error, but now we&rsquo;ve been in enough situations where we know what to expect.&rdquo;
Booker paced the Suns through three quarters, but didn&rsquo;t get a shot in the fourth until he missed a runner with 3:45 to play. Paul took over the offensive burden with his mid-range jumpers and drives to the basket.
&ldquo;You only build that trust by playing together in games, close games like that,&rdquo; Paul said.
The Jazz trailed 98-94 when Hassan Whiteside committed an offensive foul and a technical. Booker made two technicals around a jumper that beat the shot clock to give the Suns the cushion they needed.
Playing without Donovan Mitchell (concussion) and Rudy Gobert (left calf strain), the Jazz got a boost from Jordan Clarkson, who scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Whiteside had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Mike Conley also scored 16 points and added 10 assists for the Jazz, who dropped their ninth game in the last 11.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing without Rudy and Donovan right now. But it doesn&rsquo;t mean we can&rsquo;t run back. ... This is about committing to the things consistently that allow you to (grow),&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said of his team&rsquo;s inconsistent effort.
The Suns were also missing two starters in Jae Crowder (wrist) and Deandre Ayton (ankle), but Bismack Biyombo had 12 points in his first start of the season.
He said it was just &ldquo;a gut feeling&rdquo; to decide on Phoenix when he had suitors trying to bring him back to the NBA, but playing with Paul and Booker made his choice easy.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re good at closing games. ... Believers have wills, not wishes. Those guys have wills,&rdquo; Biyombo said.
Early on, the Suns simply outhustled and outran the Jazz, turning turnovers and missed shots into easy points in transition. Booker, with 21 points, outscored the Jazz by himself in the first quarter and the Suns blocked five shots on their way to a 39-18 lead after one period.
&ldquo;Chris can read the game and when Book has it going like that, he typically goes to sets where he can get him in catch-shoot environments," Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. "But when he&rsquo;s in a groove like that, I think our team feeds off it.&rdquo;
Booker had 26 points in the first half &mdash; a season high for the Suns &mdash; but they collectively went 5 for 17 in the second period.
It took 35 field goal attempts on Monday to score 33 points, but he was far more efficient this time around, going 16 for 28 and adding nine free throws. Booker became the Suns&rsquo; career leader in games scoring 40 or more points with 16.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t take these moments for granted," Booker said. "Coming into a tough Utah building and it being rowdy here and us only having nine men and still coming up with a win &mdash; that&rsquo;s why you see a smile on our faces.&rdquo;
The Suns&rsquo; top-ranked defense frustrated the Jazz until Clarkson started hitting some perimeter shots.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just trying to find our way. Regardless of the losses, I think we&rsquo;re heading in the right direction as far as staying connected,&rdquo; Conley said, despite Utah&rsquo;s worst stretch of the season.
The same teams played a tight one Monday with Phoenix prevailing over an extremely short-handed Jazz team, 115-109. Conley, Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O&rsquo;Neale sat out in Phoenix, but returned for Wednesday&rsquo;s rematch.
ALL-STAR STARTER SNUB?
The most recent release for NBA All-Star voting tabulations showed Booker fifth among guards in the Western Conference. His coach thinks that is a joke.
&ldquo;So many guys are getting so many more votes than him &mdash; it&rsquo;s laughable," Williams said. "When you look at what he&rsquo;s done not just lately but all season long and the wins we have, you know he should be a starter on the All-Star team. Tonight was one of those games where I think he proved that point.&rdquo;
Booker, who heard chants of &ldquo;M-V-P!&rdquo; from the Utah crowd at times, says he&rsquo;s not worried about votes anymore.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m in a different phase of my career now ... and I&rsquo;ll let the politics and media popularity contest figure itself out,&rdquo; Booker said.
The starters are scheduled to be announced Thursday.
TIP-INS
Suns: JaVale McGee (knee), Frank Kaminski III (knee) and Cameron Payne (wrist) were other primary Phoenix contributors out with injury. ... Booker got a technical foul in the second quarter. ... The Suns outscored the Jazz 22-3 on fast-break points and scored 22 points off Utah&rsquo;s 14 turnovers.
Jazz: Bogdanovic, frustrated with a scoreless first quarter with a pair of turnovers, threw the splint that was protecting his left ring finger avulsion fracture but had it on again when he returned in the second quarter. ... Trent Forrest turned his ankle after making a twisting baseline jumper in the fourth quarter. ... The Jazz only led once in the game by two points.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host Minnesota on Friday night.
Jazz: Visit Memphis on Friday night.

Devin Booker had 43 points and tied a career-high with 12 rebounds in a 105-97 Suns victory over the Jazz on Wednesday night.

Booker leads Suns past Jazz 105-97 for 8th straight win

If there&rsquo;s one thing the Brooklyn Nets aren&rsquo;t short on, it&rsquo;s basketball talent. For the team, that&rsquo;s a good thing.&nbsp;
For Paul Millsap personally? Not so much.
Now in his 16th year, after just 24 games in Brooklyn, the 36-year-old veteran big man is looking for a new opportunity.&nbsp;
Since he signed on in Brooklyn last summer, the Nets have seen Nicolas Claxton and Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe become reliable role players and LaMarcus Aldridge return from retirement. Meanwhile, 32-year-old Blake Griffin has maintained his place in the rotation, effectively leaving Millsap as the odd man out.&nbsp;
Of the five, he averages the fewest minutes per game (11.3 &mdash; a career low) and is the only one who hasn&rsquo;t started a single contest. Considering his pedigree, his unhappiness should come as no surprise.&nbsp;
Millsap effectively lost his job with the Denver Nuggets after the team acquired Aaron Gordon, and he chose to sign with Brooklyn because the team was perceived to have a shallow front court.&nbsp;
Surprisingly, though, it is Millsap who has drowned in the rotation.
With the NBA&rsquo;s Feb. 10 trade deadline approaching, there are a few teams which could both afford Millsap the opportunity to play meaningful minutes and contend for a championship. Whether the Nets trade him or buy him out, Millsap will eventually find a new home this season. If he&rsquo;s fortunate, it&rsquo;ll be with one of these clubs&hellip;
Milwaukee Bucks
After starting 70 games for the NBA champion Bucks last season, incumbent starter Brook Lopez hasn&rsquo;t appeared in a game since October. Currently recovering from back surgery, the Bucks are hopeful that Lopez can return before the playoffs begin, but as of now the team is rather thin up front.
Bobby Portis has filled in admirably since Lopez has gone down, and he&rsquo;s played well enough as a starter for head coach Mike Budenholzer to wonder whether Portis should retain the starting job even after Lopez returns. On the season, Portis is shooting a remarkable 41.4% from three-point territory. Although it&rsquo;s an appreciable decrease from the 47% he shot last season, that he&rsquo;s come close to maintaining his proficiency is an accomplishment, considering he&rsquo;s taking nearly twice as many attempts per game (4.5 this season compared to 2.4 last season).
It&rsquo;s not difficult to imagine a scenario where Millsap is able to give coach Budenholzer some minutes up front, especially considering the gaping hole that&rsquo;s been left in the team&rsquo;s rotation with Lopez&rsquo;s injury.
Phoenix Suns
Over the past 15 years, one of the constants in the NBA is that Chris Paul is going to find a way to maximize the players and the talent around him. We&rsquo;ve seen it since CP3 was suiting up in New Orleans, and we&rsquo;ve seen it most recently with Bismack Biyombo.&nbsp;
Unfortunately for the big man, Biyombo&rsquo;s career story &mdash; at least before arriving in Phoenix &mdash; has mostly been one about unfulfilled expectations. He was not re-signed by the rebuilding Charlotte Hornets after his contract expired last season and went unsigned for the first-half of this season.
Because of injuries to Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee, the Suns found themselves with a need in the frontcourt and, without fail, Biyombo has experienced quite the resurgence. Through nine games in Phoenix, he is averaging what would be a career-high 10.8 points per game on 70.2% shooting from the field. He&rsquo;s benefited greatly from playing alongside Paul, as well as with units that share the ball and play relatively fast.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, approximately 67% of Biyombo&rsquo;s field goal attempts come within three feet of the basket, with another 30% coming from 3-10 feet.&nbsp;
In other words, he&rsquo;s excelled by providing the team with an inside presence that the Suns are sorely missing without Ayton, and it&rsquo;s conceivable that Millsap could provide a similar interior offensive presence.&nbsp;
Dallas Mavericks
After hovering around .500 for the early part of the season, the Mavericks are 10-3 in 2022. Both Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have missed a fair share of games this season, but recent reports suggest that the Mavericks &mdash; who want to continue to build around their duo &mdash; are open for business.&nbsp;
In recent weeks, there have been reports citing Myles Turner and Dennis Schroder as players the Mavericks have some level of interest in, but Turner recently suffered a stress reaction in his left foot that may sideline him until after the trade deadline.
To make matters worse, Tim Hardaway Jr. fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot and is expected to be out for an extended period of time. Millsap won&rsquo;t necessarily help absorb any of the available minutes in the Mavericks&rsquo; backcourt, but he would help the team by providing another serviceable body who can help replace the 14.2 points per game they&rsquo;ll lose with Hardaway out of the lineup.
Along with Porzingis, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber have played most of the available big man minutes for Jason Kidd&rsquo;s team. It&rsquo;s difficult to imagine Millsap, even at 36 years old, not being able to provide value to a front line featuring those three.&nbsp;
With Turner potentially off the board and Hardaway on the shelf, Dallas will certainly have to find help elsewhere, especially with the team finally beginning to click after its season got off to a rough start.
Chicago Bulls
Patrick Williams was lost for the season back in October, and in January the Bulls have had players dropping like flies.&nbsp;
Zach LaVine only missed five games and returned to the lineup on Monday night after suffering a minor left knee injury, but neither Alex Caruso nor Lonzo Ball were as fortunate. Ball and Caruso will each miss the next 6-8 weeks, with Derrick Jones Jr. out for a similar time frame. Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic is battling left knee soreness.
The Bulls need bodies, and it would help if they happened to be big.
Enter Millsap.
Although there probably won&rsquo;t be many shots available for Millsap, he would provide immediate help to a Bulls front line that ranks 28th in the league in rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan has spent some time at power forward for Chicago this season, which isn&rsquo;t ideal. DeRozan &mdash; who has slowed down in recent weeks after being mentioned among MVP candidates earlier this season &mdash; would be better served by having another big in the lineup.
Although Chicago will be without Ball and Caruso for the foreseeable future, the team will need another big body or two if it hopes to challenge the likes of Milwaukee and Brooklyn for the Eastern Conference. Millsap could help.
Utah Jazz
Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside have proven to be a formidable tandem patrolling the paint for the Jazz, and they&rsquo;ve also proven that a team can still find success in today&rsquo;s NBA by playing traditional big men.
Although Millsap wouldn&rsquo;t provide the same spacing as Bojan Bogdanovic or Rudy Gay, he would provide the team with some needed insurance in the event that Gobert or Whiteside went down for an extended period of time.&nbsp;
Aside from the fact that Millsap began his career in Utah, he would also facilitate some offensive balance for the team &mdash; according to NBA.com, the Jazz score 38.6% of their points from three-point territory, which ranks third in the league. With respect to points scored in the paint, they rank 16th, with just 42.4%.
Millsap still possesses a back-to-basket game and could help Utah in one of the areas they need to improve.
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Moke Hamilton examines some of the teams that should take a close look at acquiring Paul Millsap from the Nets.

Five teams that could benefit from a Paul Millsap trade

When the Phoenix Suns began the 2021-22 season with a slow 1-3 start, some national pundits were quick to question whether their miraculous NBA Finals run was a mirage. But ever since that point, you can't find a more dominant team in the Association than the one residing in the Valley.
Phoenix has won 34 of their last 40 games. That&rsquo;s absurd. And to put it in more jaw-dropping terms, the second-best record over that span belongs to Golden State, with 13 losses. So, the Suns not only have been playing outstanding basketball over the last two-plus months, but they&rsquo;re beginning to lap the competition while doing so.
Since Oct. 28, the day after the Suns lost to the Sacramento Kings on a miraculous buzzer-beater from Harrison Barnes, here&rsquo;s how they rank in advanced metrics league-wide: 112.8 Offensive Rating (4th), 103.2 Defensive Rating (2nd), +9.6 Net Rating (1st). During this span &mdash; stretching nearly the entire regular season, sans the opening week of play &mdash; Phoenix is the only team carrying a top-five offensive and defensive efficiency.
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The Suns are also historically elite in clutch situations this season. Phoenix carries a 15-3 record in the clutch, including shooting almost 60% (59.2%) overall in these crutical moments. Incredibly enough, after we last checked in on this, the Suns are still miles ahead in terms of outscoring opponents per 100 possesions in the clutch at +42.7 NetRtg.
As long as the Suns have two of the most clutch scorers in the NBA right now in Chris Paul and Devin Booker, plus a rotisserie of depth around them, it's hard to not feel confident with the game on the line.
It&rsquo;s still incredible to think about how the Suns used to be viewed in league circles only just a few short years ago. Phoenix was trotting out lineups headlined by lottery busts Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss around Booker. Now, Booker is flanked by a concise unit of players that best suits his superstar abilities.
Kudos to Suns GM James Jones, because the job he has done since taking over full-time in 2018 has been nothing short of spectacular.
Phoenix not only has the star power with their dynamic backcourt duo of Booker and Paul, but their young core continues to blossom as well. Mikal Bridges is well on his way to a All-Defense nod, while also adding endless sharpshooting equity. Deandre Ayton has once again proved he&rsquo;s worthy of a rookie-scale max contract extension whenever he&rsquo;s been on the floor. Cameron Johnson is becoming a key cog in the Suns&rsquo; machine, who is likely earning his own lucrative payday.
On top of these five players, look at all of the win-now veterans littered throughout Phoenix&rsquo;s rotation: Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Bismack Biyombo. And look out for the Suns to be active leading up to February&rsquo;s trade deadline, as well as the buyout market for veterans wanting to chase a championship. There&rsquo;s not a more attractive destination right now to pursue an NBA Finals berth than Phoenix.
The Suns have built a perfectly balanced rotation that brings a multitude of strengths to the table, which is by design, from the minds of Jones and head coach Monty Williams.
As the Suns continue racking up impressive wins night after night, they are well past the laughingstock stage they experienced for almost a decade post-Seven Seconds or Less era, headlined by two-time MVP Steve Nash. Instead, these new Suns are potentially leapfrogging the most successful chapters of team history.
When surveying the landscape in the Western Conference, Phoenix has the best case of any team to make a repeat Finals trip.
Golden State is their most realistic threat, but we&rsquo;ve seen in multiple matchups between the two this season where Phoenix can attack them at will, with no issue. Memphis is an up-and-coming team who is actually right on the Warriors&rsquo; heels since Halloween for overall record, but it&rsquo;s wait-and-see mode to find out if this continues toward a deep postseason push.
Utah is another team who could throw the Suns some potential roadblocks, but they&rsquo;ve been maddeningly inconsistent as of late. Could Denver be an underrated team to monitor, especially with Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s dominance and Jamal Murray&rsquo;s looming return around postseason time?
Putting each team up against the Suns, it&rsquo;s hard to find a way an opponent can beat them in a seven-game series. They have the stars, the depth, the head coach. Everything is firing on all cylinders in Phoenix right now &mdash; which makes it even scarier if they were to find another win-now piece to add to their already strong bench in the lead-up to the postseason.
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Welcome to a new golden era of Suns basketball. It took a while to get here, and maybe the franchise had some embarrassing rock bottoms along the way, but this team may be headed to another peak for the title-starved city of Phoenix.
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After a 1-3 start this season, the Phoenix Suns have won 34 of their last 40 games. Again, Phoenix is showing they're going nowhere anytime soon.

Suns' dominance shows that a repeat Finals trip is possible

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers, and the Phoenix Suns rallied late to beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-101 on Thursday night.
In a matchup of two of the NBA&rsquo;s hottest teams, Phoenix (35-9) finished a sweep of its season-high, five-game road trip and won its ninth straight against the Mavericks by outscoring Dallas 35-19 in the fourth quarter. Paul scored 10 points in the fourth.
&ldquo;Chris knows when to go,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He showed that again in the fourth quarter.&rdquo;
Luka Doncic scored 28 points, Jalen Brunson added 19 and Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks (26-20), who had won four straight games and 10 of their last 11.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s a team that&rsquo;s been running through the league here of late,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams. &ldquo;To beat them on their home floor like that is huge.&rdquo;
After Mikal Bridges&rsquo; floater gave Phoenix a 101-99 lead with 2:56 left, Bismack Biyombo &ndash; playing only his seventh game this season after joining the Suns this month &ndash; followed his free throw with a dunk to give Phoenix a 104-99 lead. Paul&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 19 seconds to go was the clincher, putting the Suns ahead 107-99.
Doncic had 24 points through three quarters &ndash; giving him 20 or more points in nine straight games &ndash; but went to the bench in the period&rsquo;s closing seconds after hurting his neck on a hard fall. He played eight minutes in the fourth, hitting 2 of 3 shots from the floor with none behind the arc.
&ldquo;My neck&rsquo;s not an excuse,&rdquo; said Doncic, who had eight turnovers and said he might have lost some steam in the fourth quarter. &ldquo;But man, they&rsquo;re the best record in the league. We were right there.&rdquo;
The Suns won despite shooting a season-worst 22.2% on 3-pointers (8 for 36), including missing 17 straight in the first half. But they forced a Mavericks team that was second in the NBA averaging 12.4 turnovers into 19 and outscored Dallas 31-7 on points off turnovers.
Paul has an NBA-best 49 career games with double-digit assists and no turnovers.
&ldquo;He pushes everybody,&rdquo; Booker said of the 11-time All-Star. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very vocal.&rdquo;
BY POPULAR DEMAND
With the Suns leading 104-99 in the final minute, Booker was called for a blocking foul as Dorian Finney-Smith drove the baseline. Every Phoenix player on floor motioned to the bench that the call should be challenged.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to trust the players because no player in the history of the league has ever committed a foul,&rdquo; Williams said.
But he did trust them &ndash; along with his gut and from what he heard from down the bench &ndash; and the play was reversed into an offensive foul.
THE PORZINGIS HAT TRICK?
During Dallas&rsquo; 14-0 run to take a 42-38 lead late in the second quarter, the 7-foot-3 Latvian had a block on JaVale McGee, scored on an alley-oop from Maxi Kleber and then popped a 25-foot 3-pointer.
TIP-INS
Suns: They&rsquo;re one win short of the franchise&rsquo;s best record through 44 games. Being 26 games over .500 is the most since finishing last season&rsquo;s shortened schedule 51-21. &hellip; Played their second straight game without starting center Deandre Ayton, their second-leading scorer and top rebounder (right ankle sprain).
Mavericks: Had won six consecutive home games, including wins over Golden State and Chicago. &hellip; Finished a home back-to-back after beating Toronto by four points on Wednesday night. &hellip; Played their second straight game without reserve guard Sterling Brown (sore left foot).
UP NEXT
Suns: Host Indiana on Saturday for their first home game since Jan. 8.
Mavericks: Home on Sunday against Southwest Division leader Memphis to finish a five-game homestand.

Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers, Suns rallied late to beat the Mavericks.

Suns rally late to beat Mavs 109-101, sweep 5-game road trip

Devin Booker had a season-high 48 points and the Phoenix Suns dominated the fourth quarter to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 121-107 Monday night for their fourth straight victory.
Chris Paul added 15 points and 12 assists as Phoenix won its sixth straight on the road and fifth consecutive in San Antonio.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the benefit of having Chris Paul,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;Chris can read the game. Chris, when he reads it, he&rsquo;ll just run certain sets that we have to get Book the ball in certain spots. When a guy is rolling like that, you just kind of let him have the ball and space the floor properly.&rdquo;
Spurs center Jakob Poeltl had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Dejounte Murray added 18 points.
Phoenix arrived in San Antonio after a 135-108 victory in Detroit on Sunday. The Suns started sluggishly against the Spurs, but Booker scored 18 points in the opening quarter to keep the game close.
&ldquo;I just respect (the Spurs) to the highest level,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;I understand the level that they compete at and especially the level that they play at here in San Antonio. I just wanted to be aggressive from the start.&rdquo;
Booker was 18 for 33 from the field and 5 for 13 on 3-pointers in eclipsing his previous high of 38 points, which he collected twice.
&ldquo;Shoot, it&rsquo;s been like that for a while,&rdquo; Paul said of Booker&rsquo;s hot start. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s probably because we&rsquo;ve got a team that&rsquo;s so supportive and we enjoy seeing each other do well. So, when we he gets it going like that, we try to feed him and then we still make the right play. For us, it&rsquo;s all about ultimately winning the game.&rdquo;
Phoenix was without injured starter Deandre Ayton, but reserve center Bismack Biyombo responded with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
&ldquo;We needed some rebounding,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;They were kicking our butt. Now Jalen (Smith) can rebound, but they had some guys down there that can move you around a little bit. I thought Bis would give us a bit more girth down with Poeltl and Jock Landale.&rdquo;
Cameron Johnson was also key, scoring four of his eight points in a crucial stretch midway through the final quarter.
Johnson had a steal, which led to a contested layup that gave Phoenix a 103-98 lead with 7:44 remaining. Johnson made two free throws a minute earlier to put the Suns up 99-98.
The Spurs had three turnovers in a two-minute span beginning with Johnson&rsquo;s steal as the Suns took command late.
Phoenix outscored San Antonio 34-16 in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re a very good team,&rdquo; Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. &ldquo;They were in the championship last year. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times with some bad turnovers.&rdquo;
The Spurs had their regular starting lineup together for the first time since Dec. 23. A return to familiarity sparked a fast start, as San Antonio took a 28-20 lead with every starter scoring at least three points.
The Spurs starters all finished in double figures, accounting for 84 points.
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix&rsquo;s last loss in San Antonio was Jan. 29, 2019. ... Ayton sprained his right ankle Sunday in the first quarter of Phoenix&rsquo;s 135-108 victory over Detroit. Ayton had six points in eight minutes before exiting. His status is day-to-day. ... Johnson returned after a three-game absence due to a sprained left ankle. ... The Suns are 21-7 against Western Conference teams, second only to Utah (19-4). ... JaVale McGee had six points and eight rebounds while starting in place of Ayton. McGee is averaging 10.2 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Suns.
Spurs: San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon was not at the game after being placed in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols due to COVID-19. ... Tre Jones missed his seventh straight game while in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. ... The Spurs are 9-17 against the West. ... Bryn Forbes is averaging 13.3 points in his previous 10 games, raising his season average to 9.1 points. The Spurs have seven players averaging double figures this season.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Dallas on Thursday.
Spurs: Host Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Devin Booker had a season-high 48 points and the Suns dominated the fourth quarter to defeat the Spurs 121-107.

Booker's season-high 48 helps Suns rally past Spurs 121-107

TORONTO (AP) — Devin Booker scored 16 points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:02 remaining, and Chris Paul had 15 points and 12 assists as the Phoenix Suns beat Toronto 99-95 on Tuesday night to snap the Raptors' longest winning streak of the season at six games.
Jae Crowder scored 19 points, Deandre Ayton had 16 and Mikal Bridges added 12 as the Suns improved to 31-9, matching the franchise's best record through 40 games.
OG Anunoby scored 25 points, Pascal Siakam had 22 and Fred VanVleet added 21 for the Raptors, who lost for the first time since Dec. 28 against Philadelphia.
Chris Boucher had 13 points and 16 rebounds for the Raptors, who played without injured starters Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr.
Trent missed his second straight game because of a sore left ankle, while Barnes sat out with a sore right knee.
The Raptors led 83-81 after Boucher made a pair of free throws with 6:19 left, but Crowder and Bridges each hit a 3-pointer before Ayton capped an 8-0 run as Phoenix opened an 89-83 lead with 4:13 to go, its biggest of the game.
Siakam stopped the run with a basket and Anunoby added a 3 to make it 89-88 with 2:36 to play.
Booker fouled Anunoby as they scrambled after a loose ball with 1:41 left, and the Toronto forward made both to put the Raptors up 90-89.
After three missed 3-pointers by the Suns, Booker hit a go-ahead jumper with 62 seconds left and, after Siakam missed, Paul’s pull-up jumper made it 93-90 with 32 seconds remaining.
Anunoby cut it to one with a driving basket, but Booker restored the three-point cushion with a pair of free throws.
Toronto’s Khem Birch and Paul each converted a pair of free throws and the Suns sent VanVleet to the line with four seconds left. He made the first and missed the second, but Phoenix’s Jalen Smith grabbed the rebound and Ayton pushed the lead to four with a pair of free throws.
VanVleet scored 10 points in the first as Toronto led 31-23 after one, but Crowder answered with 13 points in the second as the Suns cut the deficit to 48-46 at halftime.
Siakam hit a tiebreaking jumper with 8.8 seconds left in the third to give the Raptors a 71-69 lead heading to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Suns: F Cam Johnson (left ankle) was not available after being injured in Saturday’s loss to Miami. … G Landry Shamet returned after missing the past three games while in the health and safety protocols. … F Justin Jackson (personal) did not travel to Toronto. Phoenix coach Monty Williams said Jackson could rejoin the team Friday in Indiana. … F Ish Wainwright (health and safety protocols) was not available. … Phoenix signed C Bismack Biyombo for the remainder of the season.
Raptors: Siakam had four assists in the first quarter. He finished with seven. … Yuta Watanabe missed the previous four games after entering the health and safety protocols.
UP NEXT
Suns: Visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Raptors: Begin a five-game road trip at Detroit on Friday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Phoenix Suns became the best team in the NBA record wise after beating the Toronto Raptors.

Booker scores 16 as Suns cool off streaking Raptors, 99-95

The Phoenix Suns are signing center Bismack Biyombo for the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1479129813596221442" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Biyombo averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks across his first two games in Phoenix while on a 10-day contract. The 29-year-old was not on a team this season prior to joining the Suns and had spent the previous three seasons with the Hornets. Biyombo has averaged 5.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game across his NBA career to date.

Biyombo averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks across his first two games in Phoenix.

Suns signing Bismack Biyombo to contract for rest of season

As many teams are currently in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns are getting hit hard by COVID-19. Head coach Monty Williams returned out of league protocols on Tuesday to guide the Suns to an impressive victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, and Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder JaVale McGee have been cleared for return after reconditioning. (Only Abdel Nader and Landry Shamet remain in the protocols.)
In the absence of Ayton and McGee, two key cogs to the Suns&rsquo; success to kick off the 2021-22 campaign, an interesting debate is bubbling up to the surface out of nowhere. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski just reported that Phoenix signed veteran center Bismack Biyombo for the rest of the season, and immediately, he&rsquo;s become a valuable piece thriving alongside Chris Paul in pick-and-roll situations.
After not playing in an NBA game for 10 months, Biyombo was picked up in free agency, and has averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals in only 23.6 minutes over the Suns&rsquo; last two games against the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. Biyombo has been a necessary piece who adds size and toughness down low, and he&rsquo;s also been such a synergistic fit alongside Paul and Devin Booker, who constantly set him up around the rim for spoon-fed opportunities. Biyombo is 11 of 13 from the field.
At the same time, 2020 No. 10 overall pick Jalen Smith has finally entered the Suns&rsquo; rotation to see the first legitimate minutes of his career. With Ayton and McGee sidelined, Smith has become Phoenix&rsquo;s starting center, averaging 15.2 points in only 24.2 minutes over four games with an actual rotation spot. Smith <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rotation-players-making-the-most-of-roster-incosistency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has displayed what made him so enticing</a> during the pre-draft process: rim-rolling ability, floor-spacing acumen and underrated rim protection value. The question now becomes what happens once Ayton and McGee return after exiting league health and safety protocols.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Phoenix stunningly declined Smith&rsquo;s third-year team option, a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-admit-mistake-drafting-jalen-smith-no-10-overall-in-2020-declining-thirdyear-option" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rarity for a lottery pick</a>. The Suns let it be known that they seemingly didn&rsquo;t believe in Smith&rsquo;s long-term potential to find a niche role in their win-now trajectory alongside Paul and one of the best young cores in the league. It was an open secret that Phoenix was shopping Smith this offseason to find a win-now piece to bolster an already strong bench unit. Thaddeus Young was the one name who continued to be floated out there in potential trade talks revolving around Smith, but nothing came to fruition.
Now, with Smith showing true on-court value, he&rsquo;s suddenly boosted a nonexistent market around the NBA. There&rsquo;s a plausible scenario where Phoenix can ship off Smith&rsquo;s expiring contract plus Dario Saric, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, to find a real jolt for the team's rotation.
Biyombo&rsquo;s instant impact also plays a factor here, which is a stunning development. Hypothetically, Biyombo could be a better fit for what the Suns need in case of emergency behind Ayton and McGee as a third big. He not only provides much-needed size and versatility around the rim, but he&rsquo;s a veteran voice in the locker room as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Welcome to PHX, Bismack Biyombo! 💥 <a href="https://t.co/taHVFhCJvC">pic.twitter.com/taHVFhCJvC</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1477809332700000259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Smith and Biyombo will be redundant when the Suns are back to full health. The question that now looms is what general manager James Jones will do with Smith. Will he side with the former lottery pick who is finally flashing real long-term value, or is Biyombo&rsquo;s veteran presence and cheaper salary enough at the back of the Suns&rsquo; bench?
With COVID issues ravaging rosters throughout the Association, Phoenix has stumbled into a unique situation which will now loom large over the next month. Whatever the Suns decide to do, it could have a championship-like shockwave. Whether it be acquiring a veteran like Young from San Antonio or another piece with even more win-now value (could Jerami Grant now become an actual option if the Suns are willing to trade promising young wing Cameron Johnson?), Phoenix now has moved its way up the proverbial ladder for most intriguing teams before the trade deadline.
All of the sudden, the Suns now have a big man predicament they&rsquo;re more than happy to be dealing with.

In the absence of Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee, two Suns backup bigs have brought aboard an intriguing predicament.