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Suns

Despite losing to the Milwaukee Bucks, 129-118, on Saturday night, the Golden State Warriors left the game with a silver lining: Their young guys outran and outhustled the contending Bucks, giving them a hard time all game long.&nbsp;
The Warriors even led 56-54 at the half, and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that the Bucks were able to pull away completely. Milwaukee used their veteran savvy in the fourth to defeat the youthful Warriors squad, who were playing without their captain and superstar Stephen Curry (rest).
Even though they came up short, the young guns showed they have the ability to compete against an elite team, which the Warriors can possibly build upon once Curry and Draymond Green return to the lineup. This showing also gives Golden State's front office a number of things to consider as the Feb. 8 trade deadline approaches.
With that said, let's break down how the Warriors' young core performed and how they nearly managed to upset the Bucks without their leading scorer.
First, the youthful Warriors ran the old Bucks off the floor. Without Curry, head coach Steve Kerr started rookie Brandin Podziemski at point guard. With Podz at helm, the Warriors pushed the pace. Save for some early sets for Klay Thompson, Golden State was up and running and tried to beat Milwaukee in transition all game long. Even slow-footed power forward Dario Saric was leading the break at some points, trying to turn up the tempo and outrun the Bucks.
If there was one possession that encapsulated what the Warriors tried to do, it was this one in the second quarter. Following a made basket by the Bucks, Jonathan Kuminga ran the length of the floor, beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and challenged Brook Lopez at the rim in the process to make a quick counter:
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I like the mindset here. Bucks' Achilles heel on defense this season has been in transition. Off of a made bucket, JK pushes the pace and lays the ball over Brook. <a href="https://t.co/PK8KkPUocJ">pic.twitter.com/PK8KkPUocJ</a>
&mdash; Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1746349742576312799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
Kuminga breezed through the entire Milwaukee defense and jumped in the air before Lopez could get there. The Dubs just ran and ran, putting pressure on the Bucks (the NBA's oldest team).
Secondly, the young Warriors played hard; they deserve credit for their effort and energy. Without their best player and the hub of their system, the Warriors leaned on their youth and athleticism to challenge the Bucks, who were coming off their biggest win of the season (drubbing the Boston Celtics).
It started with Podziemski, who was playing in his home state of Wisconsin. He had a great game, recording a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds on impressive 10-of-14 shooting.&nbsp;
The No. 19 overall selection was active off the bounce, blowing by opponents and squeezing his way through the defense. He was also brilliant off the catch, where he got a couple of baskets off of stampede runs to the rim:
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Interesting that the Bucks are actually hard hedging here w/ Portis as their 5. Puts them in rotation, Podz takes advantage w/ a face cut. <a href="https://t.co/QDTFb7q9XZ">pic.twitter.com/QDTFb7q9XZ</a>
&mdash; Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1746344669464916419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
The 20-year-old out of Santa Clara also exhibited uncanny can't-teach instincts. In one play in the fourth quarter, he knew exactly what fellow rookie Andre Jackson Jr. would do, intercepting his pass to get an easy transition dunk on the other end. Podziemski&rsquo;s feel as a rookie has been impressive and he fits nicely with the Warriors' core.
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The Warriors&rsquo; other rookie, Trayce Jackson-Davis, also contributed by scoring 12 points in 18 minutes and making his presence felt inside for Golden State.
The No. 57 overall pick used his quick first bounce to freeze Bucks defenders on the floor and get easy baskets at the rim, scoring on plays like these:
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Also, Jackson-Davis has been developing chemistry with Thompson, and he's often the beneficiary of their pindown screens when two defenders blitz Thompson. In the previous game against the Chicago Balls, he had four easy buckets off of passes from Klay alone.
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The Klay-to-TJD tandem produced four easy baskets, including three dunks. <a href="https://t.co/Y8uUr7m1Gb">pic.twitter.com/Y8uUr7m1Gb</a>
&mdash; Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThompsonScribe/status/1746043482916217244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
In this instance, Klay and TJD had a nice give-and-go in a little two-man game for an easy bucket underneath.
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Klay to TJD two-man game <a href="https://t.co/Ai3JItodo1">pic.twitter.com/Ai3JItodo1</a>
&mdash; Mon Anthony Valmoria (@Morval_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Morval_/status/1746710126709669943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The 6-foot-9 center/forward has been a much better play-finisher than starting center Kevon Looney. He uses his athleticism to factor in on offense and serves as a lob threat. The 23-year-old gives the Warriors a new outlook at the big position. While Green and Looney are screeners and their main priority is getting guys open, Jackson-Davis is someone who looks to score and put pressure at the rim.
Finally, Jonathan Kuminga is becoming more and more polished as a scorer. Although there are ways he can still improve (like his feel for Golden State&rsquo;s system), he&rsquo;s finally arrived as a dependable scorer.&nbsp;
Off the bounce, Kuminga uses his body and strength to shield the ball away from defenders and utilizes his quick first bounce to get to the rim first before his defender can challenge him up top. The third-year player from the G-League Ignite is explosive, and he never gives his defender a chance to react.
Kuminga has also added a developing three-point shot to his arsenal, which forces defenders to respect his shooting and opens up his game even more. 
The 21-year-old had arguably the best two-game stretch of his young career recently, scoring 24 points and 28 points in back-to-back games. This is the best he has played in his three years in the league, looking like a reliable scoring option who could get buckets at will.
Kuminga is looking more and more comfortable, and he has scored in double digits in his last 19 games.
***
The absence of Curry in this game unlocked the Warriors&rsquo; young guys and showed what they are capable of. The challenge now is whether Golden State's young core can continue producing at this level once Curry and Green are back. 
The youngsters' athleticism and energy could help Golden State as they try to right the ship. The Warriors currently have the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference, so Kerr might have to tinker a bit and cater to the strengths of his current personnel rather than trying to force them to fit in his system. 
Do the Warriors think the kids can help Curry and Co. compete for a title? Or was this just an audition for other teams and a way to improve the youngsters' trade value so they can be flipped for win-now pieces?&nbsp;
Regardless, the kids can clearly play given the right environment and opportunity.

The Warriors' youngsters nearly upset the Bucks, giving Golden State's front office something to consider prior to the trade deadline.

Warriors' youth giving management something to ponder before deadline

We&rsquo;re two weeks into the 2023-24 NBA season, which is far too early for overarching declarations, but not too early for a statistical deep dive into some numbers that jumped out at us. Put on your wetsuits.
52&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers sophomore Shaedon Sharpe has been assisted on 52% of his made baskets this season, down considerably from the 67% he was assisted on last season. That number dropping, combined with Sharpe&rsquo;s points per game rising (20.1 PPG, up from 9.9 last season), allows us to infer a few things.&nbsp;
First, it shows that Sharpe&rsquo;s role has increased significantly, which we expected. With Damian Lillard gone and Anfernee Simons sidelined for a few months with an injury, Sharpe was the obvious next man up regarding shot attempts. And the 20-year-old isn't afraid to put up shots, as he's attempting over 15 per game.&nbsp;
Secondly, it shows that Sharpe is getting his own buckets. His self-creation ability is one of the main reasons he was the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft &ndash; despite not playing any college ball &ndash; and he&rsquo;s starting to turn that creation potential into a real skill on a nightly basis.&nbsp;
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Shaedon Sharpe&rsquo;s 26-point second half: <a href="https://t.co/lyhXlJzCcg">pic.twitter.com/lyhXlJzCcg</a>
&mdash; Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UsherNBA/status/1719899721110577389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
36.9&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s how many minutes Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is playing per game thus far, which would be a career-high. While that number will surely come down as the season progresses &ndash; we don&rsquo;t think Darvin Ham wants to run AD into the ground during the regular season &ndash; it&rsquo;s a good sign nonetheless that he can play that many minutes a night.
Davis is making the most of his minutes too. He is leading the league in blocks per game (3.3) and has shot the ball extremely well from three-point range (42.9%). Maybe more importantly, he&rsquo;s shooting just one three-pointer a game! That&rsquo;s a great number!&nbsp;
100.7&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s the league-leading defensive rating of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This would be the best DRTG in the NBA since the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs, who finished the season with a simply outrageous 98.2 DRTG.&nbsp;
Is Minnesota the best defensive team in almost a decade? Probably not, but they do have the potential to be elite defensively, and they are showing that through two weeks. Rudy Gobert is blocking 2.4 shots per game &ndash; much closer to his career average (2.1) than last season, when he was down to 1.4 blocks per game.&nbsp;
Surrounding Gobert is Kyle Anderson (who is still being a pest, while averaging 1.9 steals + blocks per game), a healthy Jaden McDaniels (who solidifies any defense), a 36-year-old Mike Conley (who has lost a step but still provides intelligent play on both ends), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who is blocking shots like a madman, with a 2.7 block percentage) and budding (budded?) superstar Anthony Edwards (who is as bought in defensively as he ever has been).&nbsp;
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Anthony Edwards is a two-way force - hard closeout + block on defense - tough PnR euro + finish through contact on offense <a href="https://t.co/G3zZJNVJKf">pic.twitter.com/G3zZJNVJKf</a>
&mdash; Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) <a href="https://twitter.com/WolvesClips/status/1720972196477120711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
50&nbsp;
That is Tyrese Haliburton&rsquo;s AST% right now. Seriously. If a player on the Indiana Pacers makes a shot, there&rsquo;s a coin flip chance that Haliburton assisted it. Sustainable? Maybe not. But I am confident in calling Haliburton a top-three facilitator in the league, and he could absolutely get to No. 1 on that list if his game continues to ascend at the pace it has in his first few seasons.
Haliburton has flash in his game, of course:&nbsp;
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Haliburton with the no-look pass🙈<a href="https://t.co/daZesj2sml">pic.twitter.com/daZesj2sml</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1719136140861813166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
But like all the great distributors, some of his best passes don&rsquo;t even end up as assists &ndash; like this cross-court dime against Charlotte last Saturday:&nbsp;
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This is a great cross court pass from Haliburton and swing to Buddy. Pay attention to Charlotte's defense Melo sprints over to Brown but no one else tries to make a run at Hield until after he's making the catch. <a href="https://t.co/A0msdX9Cih">pic.twitter.com/A0msdX9Cih</a>
&mdash; Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoDakhil_NBA/status/1721252256899846227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
10.3 and 13.8&nbsp;
The first number is how many assists Chris Paul records for every turnover he commits. Paul&rsquo;s facilitation is still elite, and the Golden State Warriors' second unit is benefitting mightily because of it. Point God lives on.&nbsp;
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Here come the Dubs 👀 <a href="https://t.co/oPW29CMIgg">pic.twitter.com/oPW29CMIgg</a>
&mdash; Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1721331455669014769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
The second number, however, is Paul&rsquo;s three-point percentage this season. Paul is struggling to score regularly right now.&nbsp;
Dario Saric has been a nice surprise for Golden State off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga is scoring nearly 13 points per game and Gary Payton II is shooting the ball well too. Everyone plays better when Paul is distributing at an elite level like this.
81.0
That&rsquo;s Mark Williams&rsquo; field goal percentage through six games. The Charlotte Hornets' second-year big man is looking like the big rim presence the franchise has desperately needed in recent years. 
Williams was solid in a starting role down the stretch of last season &ndash; and he appears to have refined pretty much every aspect of his game in year two.&nbsp;
As a prospect, Williams was widely perceived as a defensive force with minimal offensive ability. But seemingly every game, Williams gets more comfortable on the offensive end, showcased by a career-high 27 points on November 4.

Quinn Everts dives into some interesting numbers that jumped out from the first two weeks of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Picking Cherries: 7 NBA statistics that stand out so far this season

Throughout NBA history, there have been plenty of supremely talented teams. However, only a select few managed to string together multiple championships, revolutionize how the game is played and dominate to the point that they defined their era.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s extremely difficult to create a dynasty, but these six teams earned that distinction.
Boston Celtics (1957-1969)
While it&rsquo;s difficult for today&rsquo;s NBA fans to fathom, the Boston Celtics managed to win 11 championships in just 13 seasons. Celtics head coach and general manager Red Auerbach pulled off a draft-day trade in 1956 that changed the franchise forever, with Boston acquiring No. 2 overall pick Bill Russell in exchange for Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley. Russell would become one of the most dominant defenders and rebounders of all-time, and when paired with Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Sam Jones among others, the Celtics became an unstoppable force.&nbsp;
Today, winning three-straight championships is considered an astonishing feat, yet these Celtics managed to win eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966 &ndash; a record that is virtually impossible to break. While it was certainly a very different era of basketball, Boston deserves a ton of credit for revolutionizing the game and sustaining that level of dominance for more than a decade.
Los Angeles Lakers (1980s)
The 1980s belonged to the "Showtime" Lakers, a dynamic and star-studded team led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Under head coach Pat Riley's leadership, the Lakers thrilled fans with their fast-paced style of play. From 1980 through 1991, the Lakers won five championships and made nine NBA Finals appearances.
Magic&rsquo;s unparalleled playmaking abilities and Kareem&rsquo;s automatic skyhook made these Lakers nearly unstoppable on the court. The Lakers&rsquo; rivalry with the Celtics (and Magic Johnson&rsquo;s personal rivalry with Larry Bird) added another layer of excitement to the NBA, culminating in memorable NBA Finals matchups and moving NBA playoff games to live broadcasts rather than being on tape delay.&nbsp;HBO&rsquo;s show &ldquo;Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty&rdquo; has introduced the Showtime era to a new generation of fans.&nbsp;
Chicago Bulls (1991-1998)
On June 19, 1984, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. It didn&rsquo;t take long for Jordan to make his mark on the league, as he won Rookie of the Year and became a household name. Jordan was the lynchpin of the Bulls&rsquo; dynasty and became the biggest sports star that the world had ever seen. Coached by Phil Jackson, MJ and Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to six championships in eight years, thanks to two different three-peats. In the 1995-1996 season, the Bulls amassed a record-setting 72 wins, solidifying their status as one of the greatest teams in NBA history (although the record would later be broken by another team featured on this list).&nbsp;
These Bulls teams captured the imagination of fans worldwide. The Bulls&rsquo; dynasty and Team USA's "Dream Team" (which featured Jordan and Pippen alongside other NBA superstars like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley) deserve a lot of credit for making basketball popular across the globe. Just as &ldquo;Winning Time&rdquo; is bringing the Showtime Lakers back into the spotlight, ESPN&rsquo;s docuseries &ldquo;The Last Dance&rdquo; became a huge hit and showcased Jordan&rsquo;s dominance and popularity to younger fans who never got a chance to watch him play live.
San Antonio Spurs (1999-2014)
The San Antonio Spurs, guided by the steady hand of coach Gregg Popovich, enjoyed an extended period of excellence. By now, you&rsquo;re probably realizing that dynasties tend to start when a team drafts a special player. For the Spurs, that player was Tim Duncan, who is often regarded as the greatest power forward in NBA history. While Duncan wasn&rsquo;t a flashy player, he was incredibly consistent and capable of taking over games offensively and defensively.&nbsp;
Duncan and Popovich captured five NBA championships between 1999 and 2014. They managed to win across different eras, first with David Robinson, Avery Johnson and Sean Elliot, then with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen, and later with Kawhi Leonard, Parker and Ginobili among others. The Spurs' success was built on fundamentals, exceptional team chemistry and a selfless approach to the game. Their sustained success over more than a decade solidified them as a modern NBA dynasty.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/200413-shaquille-oneal-kobe-bryant-cs-1211p.jpg" alt="" width="683" height="458" />
Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002)
The Lakers of the early 2000s were an unstoppable force, combining the dominant inside presence of Shaquille O'Neal and the scoring prowess of Kobe Bryant. Coached by the legendary Phil Jackson, this superstar tandem led Los Angeles to three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Teams had to pick their poison against these Lakers, as Shaq and Kobe were nearly impossible to defend one-on-one. Shaq dominated with his imposing size and physicality in the paint, while Kobe made teams pay with his unmatched scoring ability and constantly evolving skill-set. Together, they formed one of the most formidable duos in NBA history, complementing each other's strengths on the court (while often butting heads off the court). Who knows how many more championships the Lakers would have won if Shaq and Kobe managed to get along and make things work in L.A.&nbsp;
Golden State Warriors (2014-2022)
The Golden State Warriors' dynasty has been a breathtaking display of offensive brilliance and finesse. Led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors revolutionized the game with their three-point shooting, fast-paced style of play and small-ball lineups. Head coach Steve Kerr, who won five championships as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs dynasties, helped the Warriors capture four NBA championships in eight years (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022).&nbsp;
The Warriors won 73 games in 2016, breaking the previous record set by the Bulls. And as if this team wasn&rsquo;t already scary enough, Golden State signed Kevin Durant and became even more unstoppable. Even after Durant left in 2019, the Warriors managed to win another championship, beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals last year. The Warriors revolutionized the modern NBA, and their dynastic run may not even be over. After all, Curry, Thompson, Green and Kerr are still around and the team recently added veterans Chris Paul, Cory Joseph and Dario Saric in hopes of chasing a fifth ring.

Alex Kennedy looks back on six of the most unstoppable dynasties throughout NBA history.

Exploring the most dominant dynasties throughout NBA history

Entering the 2022-23 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors were determined to defend their title.
However, after a season full of ups and downs, the Warriors ultimately earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference and were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs.
This has been a busy offseason for the Warriors, and the franchise will look different (on and off the court) next year. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. took over the front office after the departure of Bob Myers, and he didn't wait long to start putting his fingerprints all over the roster.
While the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be back, the Warriors added veterans Chris Paul, Cory Joseph and Dario Saric as well as rookies Brandin Podziemski (No. 19 overall) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (No. 57 overall). Jordan Poole was dealt to the Washington Wizards (along with Ryan Rollins and Patrick Baldwin Jr.), and Donte DiVincenzo signed with the New York Knicks.
The Warriors made it clear that their top priority this summer was retaining Green, and they gave him a four-year, $100 million contract. While the Warriors could have gone younger, they instead decided to add veterans and chase their fifth championship in 10 years.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently opened up about what went wrong last season, taking some of the blame for the team's struggles.
&ldquo;I will say that I feel like I failed last year in connecting the group,&rdquo; Kerr told <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/07/20/steve-kerr-shares-thoughts-on-mike-dunleavy-jr-s-offseason-chris-paul-and-personal-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury-News</a>. &ldquo;I have taken a lot of time this summer to think about last year, things I could have and should have done differently. I really believe that sometimes losing sort of forces you to reassess and reevaluate and I&rsquo;m excited about coming back next year with a renewed focus and energy and spirit from the entire group. And that starts with me, and I can&rsquo;t wait.&rdquo;
Green punching Poole during training camp likely had a significant impact behind the scenes. Kerr's comment also lines up with a recent report from Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area that Green and Jonathan Kuminga don't have a relationship, but the Warriors hope that can be resolved.
"[Green and Kuminga not having a relationship] is a problem and it can only be fixed by Draymond," Monte Poole <a href="https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1682129190450253825?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on 95.7 The Game</a>. "The new contract implies the Warriors believe he can fix it, but around the league there are a lot of people saying, 'I don't know.'"
Kerr also opened up about Golden State's recent additions. When asked if Paul will start (as he's done throughout his whole career), Kerr said that the decision will come later.
&ldquo;All of that will happen in training camp,&rdquo; Kerr <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/07/20/steve-kerr-shares-thoughts-on-mike-dunleavy-jr-s-offseason-chris-paul-and-personal-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Rubin</a>. &ldquo;Until we get everyone on the floor, we won&rsquo;t be able to assess what&rsquo;s best for our team and how everything is going to look. But I&rsquo;m very confident that it&rsquo;s going to work out. We got great guys and we got champions, great competitors. There&rsquo;s one goal next year, and that&rsquo;s to win at the highest possible level. Everything else will unfold as the season does.&rdquo;
Kerr seems excited about the additions of Joseph and Saric as well.
&ldquo;We needed guys like Saric and Cory Joseph who have been through the NBA rigors and understand what it means to be a leader from the middle of the roster and how important that is,&rdquo; Kerr <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/07/20/steve-kerr-shares-thoughts-on-mike-dunleavy-jr-s-offseason-chris-paul-and-personal-goals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Rubin</a>, later adding, &ldquo;Mike really recognized that was an area we needed help, so he went out without many resources and fortified our roster and put us in position moving forward...
&ldquo;He understands that we have a window that&rsquo;s still open. I think he&rsquo;s fortified our roster with some really good veteran players and veteran leaders and balanced out the roster to where we have a better ratio of vets to young guys.&rdquo;
The Warriors can never be counted out as contenders, and it's certainly possible that their dynastic run will continue.

Steve Kerr recently took some of the blame for the Warriors' recent struggles, saying that he failed "in connecting the group."

Steve Kerr opens up about new-look Warriors, what went wrong last year

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder strengthened their hopes of reaching the play-in tournament with a 114-98 victory over the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Josh Giddey had 17 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Aaron Wiggins scored 15 for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak. They are 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.
Kris Dunn had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who were eliminated from postseason contention.
The Jazz played a 1-3-1 zone that flustered Oklahoma City in the first half, but the Thunder attacked it with patience later on and got plenty of open looks.
With most of their shooters on the bench with injuries, the Jazz made a season-low five 3-pointers on 31 attempts.
When the Jazz trimmed the lead to 75-74, Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first seven of a 19-2 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take command of the game.
Kelly Olynyk, who had 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and Dunn were the only Utah players available averaging 10 or more points. Jordan Clarkson (finger), Rudy Gay (back), Talen Horton-Tucker (ankle), Walker Kessler (concussion) and Lauri Markkanen (hand) were all injured.&nbsp;
Even Collin Sexton, who returned after missing 18 games with a strained hamstring Tuesday against the Lakers, sat out.
Both teams had modest expectations this season but have chalked up surprising wins along the way and stayed competitive in most games.
The Thunder are still very young but further down the rebuilding road than the Jazz and have 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren returning next season. The Jazz have a bevy of draft picks in the coming years to similarly build back toward contention.
The Thunder led by as many as 16 in the first half before the Jazz closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 55-52 after the second of Olynyk&rsquo;s two three-point plays in the surge.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Despite playing without anyone over 6-foot-8 for much of the game, the Thunder gathered 17 offensive rebounds. &hellip; OKC shot 26 free throws to Utah&rsquo;s 16. &hellip; Dario Saric had a season-high two blocks, his first rejections since coming from Phoenix in a Feb. 9 trade.
Jazz: Juan Toscano-Anderson fell hard just before the end of the third quarter and left the court holding his right elbow, but came back to play in the fourth. &hellip; Utah outscored Oklahoma City 36-16 in the paint in the first half. &hellip; The inexperienced Jazz had 19 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Finish the regular season at home Sunday against Memphis.
Jazz: Host Denver on Saturday.&nbsp;

Oklahoma City is 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.

Thunder beat Jazz 114-98, strengthen play-in hopes

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Harrison Barnes scored 29 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-117 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and Kevin Huerter added 20 points for the Kings. They also beat the Thunder on Sunday night.
Thunder rookie Jalen Williams matched a season high with 27 points. Dario Saric, a reserve forward/center the Thunder acquired in a trade with Phoenix before the All-Star break, had a season-high 21 points. But Oklahoma City shot just 43.9% in its fourth straight loss.
The scoring leaders for both teams did not play. Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out due to health and safety protocols and an abdominal strain and Sacramento&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Aaron Fox missed with soreness in his left wrist.
There still was plenty of action. Sacramento led 71-66 at halftime behind 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists from Sabonis.
The Kings went on a 13-0 run in the third quarter to go up 89-72, but the Thunder rallied and trailed 93-87 heading into the fourth.
Oklahoma City tied it at 98 before Sacramento responded with a 12-2 run, and the Kings controlled the rest of the game.
TIP-INS
Kings: F Trey Lyles was called for a technical foul in the second quarter. ... Barnes scored just nine points on Sunday. ... F Keegan Murray finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Thunder: G Isaiah Joe, who scored 28 and 24 points in his previous two games, had eight points on 3-for-5 shooting. ... Signed G Lindy Waters III to a multi-year contract on Monday. The former Oklahoma State star had signed a Two-Way contract last year.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday niht.
Thunder: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

Harrison Barnes scored 29 points and the Kings beat the Thunder 123-117 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Barnes scores 29 points, Kings beat Thunder for 4th straight

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; The Phoenix Suns are still looking forward to the debut of recently acquired superstar Kevin Durant.
While they wait, Devin Booker isn&rsquo;t a bad backup plan.
Booker scored 25 points, Chris Paul added 16 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Friday night.
Booker&rsquo;s had his own injury problems this season, missing chunks of time with hamstring and groin issues. He got back on the floor a few weeks ago and looks back to his old high-scoring self.
&ldquo;I feel great,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to get wind all the way back. Games like this are important for that. When you have injuries to the lower half of your body, you can&rsquo;t really condition.&rdquo;
Surging Phoenix has won 12 of 16.
Terrence Ross made a 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer to put the Suns up 94-87. Phoenix led the rest of the way and Booker&rsquo;s 3-pointer with two minutes left gave the Suns an 11-point lead.
It also gave the three-time All-Star 1,052 career 3-pointers, which broke Steve Nash&rsquo;s franchise record.
Isaiah Joe led Oklahoma City with a career-high 28 points. The third-year guard shot 11 of 17, including 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Jalen Williams added 22 points.
&ldquo;Teammates were finding me, I was in the right position, knocking down shots,&rdquo; Joe said.
The Suns are still awaiting the debut of Durant, who was dealt to the desert by the Brooklyn Nets just before the trade deadline. Durant is recovering from a sprained MCL in his right knee but is expected to return soon.
The Thunder also were without a key piece &mdash; All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the game with right ankle soreness.
&ldquo;I thought our offense kept us in the game tonight,&rdquo; Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;We had a hard time getting a handle in them defensively. They did a really good job attacking.&rdquo;
Even without Durant, the Suns showed impressive depth. Josh Okogie scored 15 points, Deandre Ayton added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Cam Payne scored 14 points off the bench in his return from a foot injury.
&ldquo;He brought a level of juice tonight that we needed,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;The shot making, the quick attacking to the paint and then defensively, I thought he was a pest.&rdquo;
Okogie scored 15 points as the Suns took a 65-60 halftime lead. Joe had 21 points for the Thunder before the break on 8-of-11 shooting, going 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
DURANT CLOSE
Durant appears close to making his Suns debut.
The 13-time All-Star played in a scrimmage on Thursday at the team&rsquo;s facility and Williams said the veteran&rsquo;s body responded well. He was also working out on the court before Friday&rsquo;s game.
Durant was dealt to the Suns two weeks ago in a blockbuster deal that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks back to the Nets.
WAINRIGHT SIGNS DEAL
Forward Ish Wainright signed a multi-year contract before the game.
The backup has emerged as a useful piece in the Suns rotation this season, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. The muscular 6-foot-5, 235-pounder played basketball and a year of football in college at Baylor.
Wainright had 10 points against the Thunder.
TIP-INS
Thunder: F Dario Saric returned to Phoenix for the first time since he was traded to Oklahoma City. He was a key part of the rotation when the Suns made the Finals in 2021. The Suns honored Saric with a highlight montage during a timeout in the first quarter.
Suns: Payne was available for just the third time since mid-December. He&rsquo;s been battling a foot injury. The backup point guard hit his first 3-pointer of the night, earning a big roar from the home crowd. ... G Landry Shamet (right foot soreness) was not available. ... Hosted a 57th straight sellout crowd.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Host Sacramento on Sunday.
Suns: At to Milwaukee on Sunday.

Devin Booker scored 25 points, Chris Paul added 16 and the Suns beat the Thunder 124-115 on Friday night.

Devin Booker scores 25 points, Suns beat Thunder 124-115

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; The Oklahoma City Thunder created the kind of momentum they wanted to take into the All-Star break.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to help the Thunder roll past the Houston Rockets 133-96 on Wednesday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander was 8 of 16 on field goals and 13 of 15 on free throws. The first-time All-Star played just three quarters because Oklahoma City was up 116-78 heading into the fourth.
Thunder guard Josh Giddey said coach Mark Daigneault helped the team stay focused.
&ldquo;Guys know the break&rsquo;s coming up and it&rsquo;s easy to look past it and kind of brush this game off and just get through it and head into the break,&rdquo; Giddey said. &ldquo;But coach really emphasized running the finish line. I think we did a really good job of that tonight.&rdquo;
The Thunder enter the break with a 28-29 record after finishing last season 24-58. They are positioned to make a run at a playoff spot in the second half of the season.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re aware of the race for the play-in and the playoff spots. ... Every game we can get, we need,&rdquo; Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Lu Dort scored 15 points, Jalen Williams had 13 and Jaylin Williams added eight points and a season-high 16 rebounds for the Thunder, who posted their largest victory margin of the season.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t settle tonight,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;Transition, we got out and ran. Offensively, we hit the paint. We got to the line a ton. We got to the rim and we sprayed the ball for open shots. I thought we made the right play the majority of the night. So credit to the guys who played together on that end.&rdquo;
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 15 points and Jalen Green added 14 for the Rockets, who lost their seventh straight game and enter the break with the worst record in the NBA.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to take some time over the break and not think about it for a little while,&rdquo; Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;But then I am going to take a good amount of the break and really kind of figure out what the next 20, however many games looks like. And maybe there&rsquo;ll be some some different things, different rotations, different schemes at times.&rdquo;
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points in the first half to help Oklahoma City take a 76-54 lead.
The Thunder continued to dominate, outscoring the Rockets 40-24 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 points in the period.
TIP-INS
Rockets: G Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate was issued a technical foul in the first quarter after he disagreed with a foul that was called against him. C Alperen Sengun and F/C Usman Garuba were called for technicals later in the quarter. ... G Kevin Porter Jr. missed his 17th straight game with a bruised left foot. ... Garuba was issued a Flagrant 1 for a push in the fourth quarter.
Thunder: Oklahoma City was called for defensive three seconds twice in the first quarter. ... Held the Rockets to 22.7% shooting in the first quarter. ... Held the Rockets to 33.7% shooting.
THUNDER DEBUT
Thunder forward/center Dario Saric debuted after he was acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. He had 12 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.
&ldquo;I thought he was good,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;Plays the right way. Certainly has a great feel for the game stylistically. Just a guy that you don&rsquo;t have to over coach what we&rsquo;re doing and stuff. He just kind of plays basketball, figures things out.&rdquo;

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder roll past the Houston Rockets 133-96.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 29, helps Thunder dominate Rockets

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker wore a hockey toque to deal with the sub-zero temperatures in Boston and pulled out a baseball metaphor to describe his possible return to the basketball court.
&ldquo;Rounding third,&rdquo; Booker said after watching from the bench as his Phoenix Suns teammates beat the Celtics 106-94 on Friday night.
Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the NBA-leading Celtics to their fourth loss in six games.
Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third. The Suns opened the fourth with eight straight points to turn back Boston&rsquo;s rally.
Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. He hasn&rsquo;t played since sustaining a groin injury on Christmas; it was just the second time he has joined the team on a road trip since.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mindful of what I say because I don&rsquo;t want to get everybody excited about it, or depress everybody, either. It&rsquo;s just where he is,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said before the game. &ldquo;We do feel like he&rsquo;s getting closer and closer to coming back.&rdquo;
The Suns lost nine of their first 11 games after the three-time All-Star went out, but have won seven of the last nine while they wait for his return, which could come during current the five-game road trip.
&ldquo;For us to win it without Book is big for everyone&rsquo;s confidence, because he will be back shortly,&rdquo; center Jock Landale said. &ldquo;We would have liked to win a few more games, but now that we&rsquo;re winning a lot of games and he&rsquo;s on the verge of coming back, it&rsquo;s big for us.&rdquo;
Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 for the Celtics, who beat the Brooklyn Nets by 43 points on Wednesday and beat the Suns by 27 in December. But the two Boston All-Stars shot a combined 12 for 36 from the floor and 6 for 22 from 3-point range.
The Suns led 74-73 to start the fourth quarter before running off the next eight points, prompting Boston coach Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout. Derrick White drove for a layup to snap the slump, but Damion Lee and Saric hit back-to-back 3s, and the Celtics never got closer than six from there.
The Celtics scored the first seven points of the game, but quickly gave it all back. Phoenix scored the next 12, with Ayton putting in three straight baskets to start the run.
The Suns started the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers by Ish Wainright and Lee &mdash; sparking another 8-0 run that helped them open a 32-20 lead. It was up to 20 points with four minutes left in the second before Tatum hit his first basket of the game &mdash; a 3-pointer &mdash; as Boston scored 11 in a row before going into the half trailing 57-44.
TIP-INS
Tatum missed his first six shots. ... Wainright sank a full-court shot, but it was just after the buzzer to end the third quarter. ... Boston&rsquo;s Luke Kornet left early in the fourth and limped to the locker room. ... The Celtics took the court on Jan. 23 with a 35-12 record and a nine-game winning streak.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Detroit on Saturday.
Celtics: At Detroit on Monday night.

Mikal Bridges scored 25 points to lead the Suns to a 106-94 victory over the Celtics — Boston's fourth loss in six games.

Mikal Bridges scores 25, leads Suns to 106-94 win over Celtics

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Deandre Ayton had to do a double-take in the final minutes as his Phoenix Suns pulled away for another win.
His eyes weren&rsquo;t playing tricks. That was Mikal Bridges getting big mid-range buckets during crucial possessions in the fourth quarter, not injured All-Star guard Devin Booker.
Bridges had one of his best games of the season with 29 points, Ayton added 22 points and 13 rebounds and the Suns won for the sixth time in seven games by beating the Toronto Raptors 114-106 on Monday night.
&ldquo;I told Booker &mdash; &lsquo;You know what&rsquo;s crazy? These are your plays,&rsquo;&rdquo; Ayton said, teasing his teammate. &ldquo;These are Mikal&rsquo;s plays now.&rdquo;
The Suns are on a bit of roll despite missing Booker the past several weeks. The 6-foot-6 Bridges has always been a solid player &mdash; mostly known for his defense and 3-point shooting &mdash; but he has morphed into a lead scoring option with Booker on the shelf with a groin injury.
The fifth-year player is averaging 23 points per game over his last nine contests, which has coincided with a Suns revival after an extended midseason swoon. He shot 12 of 19 from the field against the Raptors, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m loving it,&rdquo; Suns guard Chris Paul said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a confidence thing and I think it just keeps building.&rdquo;
Neither team led by more than 10 points in a contest that featured 16 lead changes and five ties.
The Raptors trailed by nine to start the second half but scored 12 straight points in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the third quarter to take a 65-62 lead. Toronto took an 84-82 advantage into the fourth.
The game stayed tight from that point forward until Phoenix pulled away in the final minutes. Bridges had a pair of clutch jumpers before Paul made a 3-pointer to push the Suns ahead 106-102 with 1:30 left. Ayton added a tip-in with 51.4 seconds left to extend the advantage to 108-102.
Paul finished with 19 points and nine assists.
&ldquo;They threw some shots in that we needed to miss,&rdquo; Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said. &ldquo;We fought hard, we competed, but give them credit.&rdquo;
Toronto was led by VanVleet&rsquo;s 24 points and nine assists. Gary Trent Jr. added 21 points while Pascal Siakam had 19.
&ldquo;We were playing really hard, really well,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;We could have down a few things and shored up the rebounding, but it didn&rsquo;t really bounce our way when it needed to.&rdquo;
Bridges scored 23 points on 9 of 12 shooting to push the Suns to a 62-53 halftime lead.
&ldquo;I felt it for sure,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;The crowd had me all gassed up. The crowd and our bench. I felt it from both of them.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Raptors: G O.G. Anunoby (wrist) and F Otto Porter Jr. (foot) were out. ... Shot just 9 of 33 (27.3%) from 3-point range.
Suns: Guards Devin Booker (groin), Cameron Payne (foot) and Landry Shamet (foot) were out. ... Hosted a 53rd straight sellout crowd. ... Paul hit a 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer to give the Suns a 32-28 lead. ... Dario Saric added 11 points over 14 minutes off the bench.

Mikal Bridges had 29 points, Deandre Ayton added 22 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Toronto Raptors 114-106.

Bridges scores 29, Suns pull away late, beat Raptors 114-106

On Monday afternoon, news broke that the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-reaction-exploring-rui-hachimura-fit-with-los-angeles-lakers-lebron-james-anthony-davis-washington-wizards-kendrick-nunn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Wizards were trading fan favorite Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers</a>. It's a move that shocked and disappointed many Wizards fans, who had high hopes for their team's ninth overall draft pick just four years ago.
Hachimura had been averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season, just coming off of a season-high 30-point game off the bench in a blowout win over the Orlando Magic this past weekend.
The Wizards did avoid having to take on any long-term salaries in the trade &mdash; and didn't give away any of their draft picks &mdash; but it failed to tip the scale of disappointment for Wizards fans, who looked at Hachimura as being an integral part of the team&rsquo;s future.
I caught up with <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewGooden?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Gooden</a>, a 14-year NBA veteran who formerly played for the Washington Wizards and is now an analyst for NBC Sports Washington and Monumental Sports to analyze this trade.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot-2023-01-25-at-12-43-03-2b6rbaloibfgflkd6yo2k4knzy-jpg-webp-image-5000-2813-pixels-scaled-29__690w.png" alt="" />
Etan Thomas: What was your reaction to the trade? Rui was really a fan favorite, and a lot of people in the DMV really didn&rsquo;t see this coming and have been voicing their opinions on this, but what was your reaction?&nbsp;
Drew Gooden: "It was strictly business. Like you said, he&rsquo;s a fan favorite and Rui had a window to get better on both sides of the ball both offensively and defensively. He just scored 30 points against the Orlando Magic. So we know what Rui could provide right now and potentially for the future. But I believe this was strictly a business decision the Wizards had to make in order to have the possibility of re-signing Kyle Kuzma in the offseason."
Etan: So, I&rsquo;ve heard people say that and do you think that&rsquo;s all it boils down to? The Wizards had to make this move to free up cap space? I saw they made the point clear that they were not entertaining any calls or inquiries for Kuz as we approach this trade deadline.
Gooden: "Absolutely, this wasn&rsquo;t personal at all. But truth be told, I think this is a great opportunity for Rui. Not only from a business standpoint of getting an extension and becoming part of a great organization in the Los Angeles Lakers, but the relationship that his agent has with Rob Pelinka; there is a business relationship already established there. And he gets the chance to play with one of the best players ever to play the game in LeBron James. And he&rsquo;ll be able to learn under LeBron just like Kyle Kuzma was able to learn under LeBron, so I think this is a positive for Rui.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_19850961_690w.jpg" alt="" />
"And there was some pressure for him to sign his extension. Because if you look at the 2019 draft class and you look at all the guys who have received their extensions &mdash; and these are different players that I&rsquo;m going to list off &mdash; but you have Zion [Williamson], Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, De'Andre Hunter &mdash; the fourth pick &mdash; signed his extension, Darius Garland signed his rookie max extension with Cleveland. So these guys are trying to get locked in, and there is peer pressure &mdash; and you know this &mdash; when you see guys that you got drafted with already getting their extensions, but you haven&rsquo;t gotten yours yet. It&rsquo;s added pressure for you as a player from a business standpoint. And you&rsquo;re looking at your team like, 'Why are these other guys getting paid, but I&rsquo;m not?' and, 'Why are you not investing in me and showing your faith in me?' And unfortunately, the Washington Wizards just weren&rsquo;t in a position to do that."
Etan: I&rsquo;ve heard this in conversation, so let me repeat what the word on the street is. Many people have pointed to the fact that the Wizards have developed almost a pattern of not re-signing their draft picks. In fact, the last Wizards pick to earn an extension was Otto Porter Jr., and he was drafted was a decade ago.
Gooden: "Yeah, I have noticed that. But in this case, Kyle Kuzma just threw a monkey wrench in all of the plans with his play. He has shown that he can actually carry the team when Bradley Beal is out; that&rsquo;s invaluable. And you have another situation in [Kristaps] Porzingis that you may have to be confronted with because he can opt out (in late June before free agency starts) &mdash; now, what happens if he opts out? I&rsquo;m sure the Wizards would love to re-sign both of them, but they have to be in a financial situation where they could possibly do that, and honestly, that&rsquo;s the only reason for this trade. It&rsquo;s a strategic move; not personal, just business."
Etan: Let me ask you this &mdash; and of course, it&rsquo;s hard to predict &mdash; but how likely would you say it is that Kuzma does re-sign with the Wizards in the offseason? Because that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s on everybody&rsquo;s mind right now. You&rsquo;ve traded this young talent who is a fan favorite, and what happens if Kuzma doesn&rsquo;t re-sign with the Wizards?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kyle Kuzma's 30 points power the <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashWizards</a> to victory in Dallas! <a href="https://t.co/EAyAPAuZgY">pic.twitter.com/EAyAPAuZgY</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1618237375422799872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Gooden: "It&rsquo;s, 'What&rsquo;s that magical number that could get the job done? What will make Kuzma sign that deal and stay in DC?' Because he will be an unrestricted free agent. I believe he could maximize his earnings staying with the Wizards. They <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/washington-wizards/kyle-kuzma-23622/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">do have his Bird Rights</a>. That&rsquo;s the hope, that&rsquo;s the strategy and the Wizards have to do everything in their power to put themselves in the position to be able to make that happen, and that&rsquo;s all they can control."
Etan: What does Kendrick Nunn bring to the table?&nbsp;
Gooden: "This is an interesting situation. In my years past looking at these trades &mdash; and giving up someone like Rui and getting draft picks and a guy with an expiring contract &mdash; it&rsquo;s probably another business decision. I&rsquo;m not sure if there is going to be a future here for him or not. But, maybe he&rsquo;ll get a shot and bring something to the table where he changes people&rsquo;s minds, which is very possible. That&rsquo;s what Kyle Kuzma did. He changed the narrative and made the organization shift their plans. Nunn could do that, even with the packed point guards (room) we currently have.
"But I know for a fact that (Nunn) can put the ball in the hole. His time in Miami, he was a 15-plus-point scorer in this league; I saw him with my own eyes in real time. He can catch waves throughout the course of a game and really take over games. So if he has that opportunity to play and show what he can do, there&rsquo;s no doubt in my mind that he can play at a high level. It&rsquo;s just the clutter of all of the point guards on the roster right now. So we&rsquo;ll see what happens."
Etan: Right. It will definitely be interesting to see. Okay, last question. Where do you think the Wizards end up this year? Of course, they have to stay healthy. That&rsquo;s one of the main things. But what is the ceiling or possibility for them this season?
Gooden: "Well, the Play-In Tournament I believe doesn&rsquo;t allow teams to let go of the rope down the stretch of the season. In the past, some teams may get to that point where they&rsquo;re thinking more of improving their chances in the lottery. This is an interesting window, and someone just asked me this question the other day.
"They asked, 'What is the Wizards identity?' And you know what? They haven&rsquo;t been whole the entire season. You have had small sample sizes where you had Porzingis, Beal and Kuzma all on the floor together, but nothing consistent this entire season. But one thing I know &mdash; they have a chance to win every given night no matter who is on the floor. They&rsquo;re a team that won&rsquo;t allow themselves to let go of the rope."

Etan Thomas speaks with Wizards analyst and former 14-year NBA pro Drew Gooden to analyze the Rui Hachimura trade with LA.

Drew Gooden: Wizards trading Hachimura to LA 'strategic, not personal'

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Cam Johnson didn&rsquo;t need much time on the floor to do some damage.
Johnson scored 24 points in just 18 minutes, Dario Saric added 19 off the bench and the Phoenix Suns won their fourth straight game by beating the Charlotte Hornets 128-97 on Tuesday night.
The four-game winning streak has helped the Suns make a huge jump in the jumbled Western Conference race &mdash; all the way from 12th to sixth. Before the recent winning streak, they had lost 12 of 14.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the NBA &mdash; you weather storms. It&rsquo;s life &mdash; you weather storms,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;Things don&rsquo;t always go your way. We&rsquo;ve found that out the past couple years. That doesn&rsquo;t mean you tuck tail, run, sell the farm, hide away forever.
&ldquo;We have a lot of confidence in our group. Top to bottom.&rdquo;
The Suns built a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter, though Charlotte cut it to 58-50 early in the third. Phoenix rebuilt its lead to 98-77 by the fourth before cruising to the comfortable victory.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-70 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">Johnson was hot from the outset, scoring 16 points in seven minutes in the first quarter by making all six of his shots, including four 3-pointers. The forward was playing in his third game since returning from a knee injury that kept him out more than two months. He&rsquo;s knocked the rust off quickly, shooting 9 of 11 from the field against the Hornets, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range.</div>
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-70 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
&ldquo;To see that ball come off his hands as easy as it did tonight was pretty cool,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;When he&rsquo;s making shots like that, it opens it up for everyone else.&rdquo;
Suns guard Chris Paul added 14 points and 11 assists. Mikal Bridges scored 18 points and Jock Landale had 15. Bismack Biyombo blocked five shots.
Charlotte couldn&rsquo;t overcome its brutal start. The Hornets shot just 6 of 23 (26.1%) in the first quarter. Terry Rozier scored 19 points, but shot just 7 of 21 from the field. Mason Plumlee added 17 points while Jalen McDaniels had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
&ldquo;They shot the ball well,&rdquo; Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. &ldquo;We did not.&rdquo;
The Suns jumped out to 36-15 lead after one quarter, shooting 60% from the field. Phoenix pushed that advantage to 50-20 with seven minutes remaining in the half but the Hornets responded with a 27-8 run to cut it to 58-47 at halftime.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-70 apnews_article_midarticle_2" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
&ldquo;I loved our defensive intensity to start the game,&rdquo; Williams said.
It was the second straight game that the Suns struggled to hold a big lead, though both games ended in a win. They had a 29-point advantage over Memphis in the third quarter Sunday before hanging on for a 112-110 win.
TIP-INS
Hornets: G LaMelo Ball (left ankle, right wrist soreness) missed his third straight game. G Gordon Hayward (hamstring strain), G Cody Martin (hamstring soreness) and G/F Kelly Oubre Jr. (left hand surgery) were also out.
Suns: C Deandre Ayton (non-COVID illness) missed his third straight game. G Devin Booker (groin), G Cameron Payne (foot sprain) and G Landry Shamet (foot soreness) were also out. ... The team&rsquo;s four-game winning streak is its longest since a six-game stretch in November. ... Hosted a 51st straight sellout crowd. ... Had a 55-39 rebounding advantage.
</div>
</div>

Cam Johnson scored 24 points, and the Phoenix Suns won their fourth straight game by beating the Charlotte Hornets 128-97.

Suns win 4th straight, roll past Hornets 128-97

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry is back for the Golden State Warriors after an 11-game absence with a partially dislocated left shoulder, rejoining the starting lineup as the defending champions hosted the Phoenix Suns.
While Curry didn't have a strict minutes restriction Tuesday night, coach Steve Kerr noted &ldquo;he's not going to play a heavy load.&rdquo;
Golden State had its regular starting five again, as Klay Thompson also returned after he had been a late scratch Saturday in a loss to Orlando because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Andrew Wiggins returned Saturday from missing 15 games for both a strained muscle in his right upper leg and a non-COVID illness.
Reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry had been sidelined since he injured the shoulder trying to strip the ball from Pacers forward Jalen Smith with 2:04 remaining in the third quarter of a 125-119 loss at Indiana on Dec. 14. The Warriors went 6-5 without him, but had lost two straight at home for the first time all season.
The 34-year-old career 3-point leader entered the game averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 assists and 6.6 rebounds in his 14th NBA season.
In an on-court ceremony before the game, Curry was set to present brother-in-law Damion Lee &mdash; now with the Suns following four years on the Warriors &mdash; his championship ring from last season's title run.

While Curry didn't have a strict minutes restriction Tuesday night, coach Steve Kerr noted “he's not going to play a heavy load.”

Stephen Curry returns for Warriors after missing 11 games

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; When Monty Williams learned Stephen Curry would be back on the floor and Splash Brother Klay Thompson also would be good to go, the Suns coach figured Phoenix would have to do everything right and make some of its own breaks to beat the defending NBA champions.
Somehow, the injury-plagued, short-handed Suns went out and absolutely dominated.
Mikal Bridges had 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Phoenix beat the Golden State Warriors for a third time this season, 125-113 on Tuesday night to snap a season-worst six-game skid.
Former Warriors guard Damion Lee received his championship ring in a pregame ceremony from brother-in-law Curry, then scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds against his former team. He converted six free throws over the final 1:13 and went 14 of 14 from the line overall.
&ldquo;I just thought it was a special night all the way around,&rdquo; Williams said, noting of the ring ceremony, Lee's performance and the win, "that's a trifecta if I ever heard of one."
Duane Washington Jr. scored 21 points, Dario Saric contributed 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Torrey Craig had 12 points and 14 rebounds for a deep Phoenix team missing four of five starters and six of eight rotation regulars. The Suns hadn't scored 100 points in their previous four games.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s obvious a big win for us having whatever you want to call it happen to us the past few weeks but collectively we had a connection and a spirit about us tonight, even when they cut it to six,&rdquo; Williams said.
Curry came back from an 11-game absence with a partially dislocated left shoulder to score 24 points on 8-for-22 shooting. Thompson had 29 points with six 3-pointers &mdash; four 3s and 14 points in the first quarter alone. Jordan Poole's 3 with 1:28 remaining cut it to 117-111, and he scored 27 points.
While Warriors coach Steve Kerr noted, &ldquo;to go 6-5 without Steph is an accomplishment,&rdquo; the reigning NBA Finals MVP couldn't do it all against a Phoenix team missing injured stars Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and Cameron Johnson. The first two meetings in the desert were lopsided, with the Suns winning 134-105 and 130-119.
Kerr said Golden State let its &ldquo;guard down&rdquo; with the Suns missing so many players.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t start competing until it was too late,&rdquo; he said.
The Warriors have lost three in a row after a season-best five-game winning streak, wrapping up an eight-game homestand that matched the longest in franchise history.
Andre Iguodala was ejected with 4:30 left in his second game played this season. But the defending champions had their starting five back together for the first time in several weeks.
Thompson was a late scratch with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee for a 115-101 loss to the Magic on Saturday night as the Warriors dropped consecutive home games for the first time all season. Now they have to hit the road again trying to best their 3-16 record away from Chase Center.
LEE'S RING
Lee, who spent the past four seasons with Golden State, received a warm ovation when he entered the game for the first time at the 5:09 mark of the first quarter.
&ldquo;It's amazing, it's a special moment that I won't take for granted,&rdquo; <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/JanieMcCAP/status/1612986492883963904">Lee said</a>.
TIP-INS
Suns: Bridges played his 351st consecutive regular-season game, the longest active streak ahead of Golden State big man Kevon Looney (152). Williams credits Bridges' toughness to play through anything. &ldquo;To pinpoint it&rsquo;s this or that, I think it&rsquo;s a combination of things. I just know we value it,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just a guy that loves to play.&rdquo; ... The Suns will try for a season sweep when they come back for one more at Chase Center on March 13.
Warriors: Looney had grabbed 10 or more rebounds in five straight games but missed doing so for a career-best sixth in a row. ... Poole has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games for the second-longest 20-point streak in his career. ... The Warriors wound up 5-3 on the homestand.
&nbsp;

Mikal Bridges had 26 points, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 125-113 to snap a season-worst six-game skid.

Bridges leads undermanned Suns past Curry, Warriors 125-113

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 10 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns overwhelmed San Antonio 133-95 on Sunday, handing the Spurs their 11th straight loss.
San Antonio fell behind by 30 points in the second quarter and is now two losses shy of the franchise&rsquo;s worst skid set in 1989.
Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges each had 20 points to help Western Conference-leading Phoenix win for the seventh time in eight games.
The Suns had a season-high 38 assists, shot 52% from the field and were 19 of 37 on 3-pointers.
&ldquo;Just reading the defense and taking what the defense gives us,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;Everybody shares the ball on this team. They threw a lot of blitzes and different type of defenses out there. Just get off the ball. The ball always moves faster than the defender.&rdquo;
Keldon Johnson has 27 points for the Spurs, who have not won since Nov. 11. Devin Vassell added 14 points and Keita Bates-Diop had 12.
San Antonio was without coach Gregg Popovich for the second straight game with what the team termed a minor medical procedure. Popovich is expected to return Thursday in a home game against Houston.
Popovich is not texting San Antonio assistant coach Brett Brown with coaching advice during his absence.
&ldquo;It hasn&rsquo;t gotten to that,&rdquo; Brown said earlier.
Not that it would have helped the beleaguered Spurs against the Suns.
San Antonio was without starters Jakob Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan and key reserves Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson.
The matchup went as expected between the Western Conference&rsquo;s best record and its worst.
San Antonio&rsquo;s 11 points in the second quarter were a season low for any period. The Spurs committed seven turnovers and were 5 for 20 from the field in the period.
&ldquo;I thought the second period in general we were having a hard time getting stops mostly,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;Their ability to get inside the paint, and then they had drop-off pass after drop-off pass after drop-off pass to their big guys. When you ask, &lsquo;How did it happen?&rsquo;"
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just that we got beat on the first line of our defense. We had to rotate, and we didn&rsquo;t have that second piece to the puzzle of one more rotation. Our front door was way to open,&rdquo; he said.
The Spurs tied a season low with 41 points in the first half. Phoenix&rsquo;s 71 points were the most given up by San Antonio in the first half this season.
Dario Saric added a season-high 17 points in his second start this season.
Ayton and Saric combined to shoot 16 for 22 from the field along with 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;I think today&rsquo;s NBA is usually four guards and one big and switching, a lot of switching,&rdquo; Saric said. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t change the defensive tactics all the time, but you need the two bigs down the stretch.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Suns: PG Chris Paul missed his 13th straight game with a sore right heel. &hellip; Bridges was 6 for 7 on 3-pointers, matching a career high for 3s. &hellip; F Torrey Craig missed the game with a strained right groin.
Spurs: Hall of Fame forward Tim Duncan was honored during the first half as part of San Antonio&rsquo;s 50th anniversary celebration. Duncan surprised the crowd with an appearance after highlights were shown of his 19-year career, including his five NBA championships with the Spurs.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Dallas on Monday night.
Spurs: Host Houston on Thursday night.

Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 10 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns overwhelmed the San Antonio Spurs 133-95 on Sunday.

Western Conference-leading Suns hand Spurs 11th loss in row

As we reach the quarter mark of the 2022-23 NBA season, gusting trade winds are right around the corner. In two weeks on Dec. 15, conversations around the league will kick into another gear, as many players who were acquired in the offseason will be allowed to be dealt elsewhere.
Which players stand out most as potential trade candidates over the next few months? Let&rsquo;s take an early peek at some of the names that already have some steam behind them.
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Off to the best start of his career, averaging 18.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks on a 68.8% True Shooting percentage, Turner&rsquo;s trade stock will only rise heading toward February&rsquo;s deadline. Always an underrated big man with elite rim-protection prowess, Turner becoming more of a consistent offensive focal point was the missing ingredient for years. Situation and usage played a big role in Turner&rsquo;s roller-coaster scoring ways, but he&rsquo;s now being fed by arguably the NBA&rsquo;s best passing point guard.
Tyrese Haliburton is the perfect facilitator to showcase Turner&rsquo;s modern skill set, which was relatively untapped as he was parked in the corner playing alongside Domantas Sabonis as a jumbo-sized 4. Now, Turner and Haliburton are creating dynamite in pick-and-roll situations. The former Texas Longhorn is scoring 1.30 points per possession as a roll man, and in 332 minutes together, the Haliburton-Turner duo carries a plus-4.5 Net Rating (113.9 Offensive Rating, 109.5 Defensive Rating) as well.
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Timing Patience &amp; Opportunity 🙏🏾 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thankful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thankful</a> <a href="https://t.co/89zG5xmCtl">https://t.co/89zG5xmCtl</a>
&mdash; Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) <a href="https://twitter.com/Original_Turner/status/1596358483737481217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Indiana is in such an advantageous position following its surprisingly hot start. Already possessing three first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Pacers could soon capitalize on a career-best running start from Turner.
How the Pacers fare on their extended west coast road trip will tell us whether this team is a legitimate Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament competitor or not, which ties right into the unsteady future of Turner and a fellow teammate...
Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers
Added to the Sabonis-Haliburton trade as salary filler, Hield has taken full advantage of the ultimate green light that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has given him. In 45 games thus far in Indiana, Hield is averaging 17.8 points and 3.9 assists per contest as a full-time starter. With only two years remaining on his contract, Hield&rsquo;s three-point shooting expertise makes him a prime trade target for a multitude of teams.
With how the Pacers&rsquo; roster is currently constructed, Hield is getting in the way of both Bennedict Mathurin and Chris Duarte getting extended minutes. This hasn&rsquo;t been a problem as of late with Duarte sitting out with a sprained ankle; however, beforehand, it was a jumbled mess trying to find the 2021 lottery pick consistent run behind Hield. As Mathurin headlines the Rookie of the Year race, allowing more minutes for the young core should be of the utmost importance here.
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Although Indiana is off to a much better start than anyone expected, they are beating up on teams well below .500. As the schedules goes up another rung in toughness over the next few weeks, the Pacers' preseason expectations could average out. With the way Hield is playing, Indiana wouldn&rsquo;t have to sell hard to find a taker.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons quietly put together a fantastic offseason to surround former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham with the necessary pieces to create a feisty Play-In contender. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren were fantastic selections in this past summer's draft, but their late acquisition of Bogdanovic was a coup on value. Immediately, Bogdanovic paid dividends alongside Cunningham and Ivey as a floor-spacing stretch 4 who could put the ball on the floor. But now, with Cunningham&rsquo;s shin injury feared to be potentially season-ending, Detroit is knee-deep in the Victor Wembanyama race, checking in with a 5-17 record.
Bogdanovic signed a two-year, $39.1 million extension less than two weeks into the regular season. However, the veteran is still immediately trade-eligible, instantly making him one of the most appealing transcational chips for a team needing an offensive jolt.
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This is a clear example of the value of a high-level shooter alongside the Pistons' cornerstones. Bojan Bogdanovic's ghost screen stresses the defense + opens up a driving lane for Jaden Ivey, who capitalizes on it. Complementary veterans are so crucial for rebuilding teams. <a href="https://t.co/VY4gJcJ5Zq">pic.twitter.com/VY4gJcJ5Zq</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1585772044654096384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Another player off to a career-best start statistically &mdash; 20.6 points on a 63.3% True Shooting percentage &mdash; the Pistons are in the ideal position to sell as high as possible. Bogdanovic should be able to net either a protected first-round pick or an appealing young prospect. Plenty of teams reportedly showed interest in Bogdanovic before he was traded to the Pistons, including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
Don&rsquo;t be surprised when the Pistons open the phone lines again. Committing to the Wembanyama race makes the most sense for any team leading the reverse standings right now.
Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns
If you had forgotten about the Crowder saga still ongoing in the Valley, nobody would blame you. After requesting a trade, reportedly due to Cameron Johnson earning his starting spot, Crowder is still away from the team as Phoenix searches for the best possible deal.
The Suns' original hope internally was to find a Crowder deal back in October, preferably before the regular season as head coach Monty Williams said. Instead, the market is telling Phoenix there are not many takers for the 32-year-old wing. The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks as potential suitors for Crowder since his request.
Johnson suffered a torn meniscus a few weeks back that will sideline him for another month at least. That has to bring some sort of urgency to the Western Conference-leading Suns. Even with no Crowder and Johnson out for a good chunk of the season, Phoenix is still firing on all cylinders with one reliable wing in ironman Mikal Bridges. Also, incredibly enough, the Suns' offense hasn&rsquo;t fallen off at all with Chris Paul watching as a spectator because of a nagging heel injury.
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Eventually, Phoenix must make a win-now move by utilizing Crowder&rsquo;s $10 million salary. If the Suns want to make an even more aggressive push, they can attach Dario Saric&rsquo;s expiring contract alongside Crowder, which would allow them to bring back close to $25 million in salary. Charania reported the Suns have had exploratory talks around Crowder for Atlanta&rsquo;s John Collins, Washington&rsquo;s Kyle Kuzma, Sacramento&rsquo;s Harrison Barnes and Houston&rsquo;s KJ Martin.
There appears to be little traction right now, but keep an eye on this Crowder situation eventually reaching a resolution. Once the Suns are back to full health, they will stay right near the top of the West.
Even more names and teams will continue to pop up between now and Dec. 15, but silly season in the NBA is starting to appear on the horizon. How some of these aforementioned teams operate will go a long way toward deciding how active this deadline period could soon become.

As the NBA reaches the quarter mark, which players stand out as potential early-season trade candidates? Evan Sidery explores.

Analyzing 4 potential early-season NBA trade targets

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Cam Johnson scored 29 points, making seven 3-pointers, and the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.
Johnson finished 7 of 11 behind the arc and 10 for 17 overall in another strong outing for the former reserve who is now in the starting lineup.
&ldquo;I think he is getting more comfortable with the role, but defensively he was really good,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said.
The victory was the fifth straight for the Suns (6-1), who won without center Deandre Ayton, sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
Johnson helped pick up his team with Devin Booker having a tough night shooting. Booker still had 18 points but was 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 6 of 18 overall. He did have seven rebounds and five assists.
&ldquo;Offensively he was really aggressive," Williams said of Johnson. &ldquo;Everybody was telling him to shoot the ball. He is more than a shooter. He has the ability to make plays. He is a really good passer.&rdquo;
Johnson also had the responsibility of guarding Karl-Anthony Towns.
&ldquo;That is a challenge I really enjoy,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;They play a little bit different, so being able to execute what we worked on feels pretty good.&rdquo;
Minnesota got within 87-85 after Anthony Edwards hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. But the Timberwolves committed six turnovers in their next seven possessions and the Suns were never threatened after that.
&ldquo;Carelessness, bad spacing, poor execution, certainly some heightened defense by Phoenix. But we've got to be better in those moments,&rdquo; Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;Whatever the defense is giving us, we've got to take that.&rdquo;
Mikal Bridges had 19 points for Phoenix and Chris Paul had 15 points, 12 assists and a team-high eight rebounds for the Suns, who led by as many as 18 points.
Towns and Edwards scored 24 points apiece. Towns had 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Edwards made five 3-pointers in 10 attempts.
Naz Reid scored 13 points, making 5 of 6 shots, and fellow reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 10 for Minnesota.
Despite the absence of Ayton, the Suns held their own on the boards against the taller Timberwolves, with Minnesota outrebounding Phoenix 42-34. The Wolves entered the night third in the NBA in rebounding with 49 per game.
Rudy Gobert had nine rebounds for Minnesota and scored seven points, all from the free throw line. He took just one shot from the field in 32 minutes. Two other Wolves starters didn't contribute much &mdash; D'Angelo Russell had five points and Jaden McDaniels, limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, scored four.
WAINRIGHT UPDATE
Suns guard Ish Wainright&rsquo;s father died Monday. Calvin Wainright, who was 68, was a longtime basketball coach and mentor in Kansas City. Ish Wainright has been out with a back injury since the beginning of the season, and away from the team in recent days.
&ldquo;They all were taken aback by it, they have supported him the way they always do,&rdquo; coach Monty Williams said of his players hearing the news.
NASH OUT
Williams said he felt bad for Suns great Steve Nash, who is no longer the coach of the Brooklyn Nets after a tumultuous tenure.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always tough. We all kind of know how hard these jobs can be,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t seen anybody have to deal with more than him in recent years as far as non-basketball stuff. It&rsquo;s tough to watch from afar.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: G Jordan McLaughlin (right heel) played after missing two games. He finished with nine points.
Suns: F Torrey Craig returned from a left heel injury for Phoenix. C Dario Saric played his second game of the season. He missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 NBA Finals. Craig finished with four points and Saric made a 3-pointer, leading to a loud roar from the crowd, in his six minutes of play.

Cam Johnson scored 29 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 for their fifth straight victory.

Suns win 5th straight behind Johnson, beat Wolves 116-107

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Damion Lee understands the final possession etiqutte in an NBA game, so the Phoenix Suns new role player passed the ball to Devin Booker with about 15 seconds left, expecting the All-Star guard to take the final shot.
Booker passed it right back to Lee.
The 6-foot-5 Lee rewarded Booker's confidence by hitting a difficult jumper over Spencer Dinwiddie with 9.7 seconds left, lifting the Suns to a 107-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night after they trailed by 22 points early in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I got double-teamed, so I made the right play,&rdquo; Booker said grinning. &ldquo;I trust my teammates, I trust everybody out there. It's something we've scouted and we've schemed. Teams are going to throw different defenses at me.&rdquo;
Booker finished with a team-high 28 points. Lee scored all of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Lee &mdash; who signed with the Suns in the offseason after four seasons with Golden State &mdash; hit three important 3-pointers in the fourth, but saved the best for the final seconds.
&ldquo;Ball was in my hands, just go make a play,&rdquo; Lee said. &ldquo;I know people are giving me the credit with the game-winning shot, but this was a total team effort.&rdquo;
Dallas star Luka Doncic missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.
&ldquo;It's the first game, we have a couple of new guys, we still have to work,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We have 81 games to go. We are going to get it right.&rdquo;
It was an impressive come-from-behind win for the Suns, who picked up a victory against the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season in embarrassing fashion.
The Mavericks led 67-45 early in the third quarter and 93-80 with eight minutes left, but the Suns kept pushing. Cameron Payne's layup put the Suns up 101-100 with 3:10 left for the first lead since the first quarter.
Doncic scored 35 points for the Mavericks. Christian Wood added 25 points and eight rebounds in his team debut.
Dallas built a 21-point lead in the second quarter but the Suns cut that advantage to 77-76 late in the third on Payne's jumper. Wood made back-to-back 3s &mdash; including one that banked off the glass &mdash; to push the Mavs back on top 88-76 early in the fourth.
But the Suns never stopped playing. Deandre Ayton had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Cameron Johnson added 15 points, and Mikal Bridges had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson left the game in the fourth quarter because he was cramping and didn't return.
The 23-year-old Doncic &mdash; entering his fifth NBA season &mdash; scored 13 points as the Mavericks jumped out to a 32-24 lead after the first quarter. Dallas stretched its lead to 21 in the second before settling for a 62-45 halftime advantage.
&ldquo;We played for 3 1/2 quarters, then we run out of steam,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
It was the first game for the Suns since their stunning 123-90 home loss to the Mavs in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. The top-seeded Suns had won 64 games during the regular season, which set a franchise record.
Despite that disappointment, GM James Jones opted to keep most of the nucleus, signing Booker and Ayton to lucrative long-term deals.
The Mavericks &mdash; which lost to the Warriors in the Western Conference finals after beating the Suns &mdash; also have a similar roster, though they lost Jalen Brunson to the Knicks in free agency.
MCGEE'S BACK
JaVale McGee was back in Phoenix on Wednesday, but he had switched sides from the Suns to the Mavericks.
The 7-foot McGee started for the Mavericks, finishing with three points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. He was a vital part of the Suns' bench last season, averaging 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
SARIC, TOO
Suns forward Dario Saric played in his first game since suffering a torn ACL in the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals in 2021. He missed all of last season.
Saric &mdash; who checked in early in the second quarter to loud cheers &mdash; averaged 8.7 points per game during the 2020-21 season.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: F Davis Bertans (right knee) and G Frank Ntilikina (right ankle) weren't available to play. G Facundo Campazzo was on the inactive list.
Suns: G Landry Shamet (left hip strain) and F Jae Crowder (not with team) weren't available to play. Crowder and the Suns mutally agreed that the forward would stay away from the team while the front office looked for a trade. ... C Deandre Ayton played just seven minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Memphis on Saturday night.
Suns: At Portland on Friday night.

Devin Booker finished with a team-high 28 points. Damion Lee scored all of his 11 points in the fourth and hit the go-ahead winner.

Suns rally from 22 points down to beat Mavericks 107-105

In 2020, the Phoenix Suns firmly planted themselves within the NBA as a sustainable contender. Following the addition of Chris Paul, Phoenix ended its 11-year playoff drought with a miraculous Finals appearance.
The 2021-22 campaign was supposed to be the crescendo moment for an instant rebuild that was stuck in neutral before the arrival of general manager James Jones and head coach Monty Williams. All season, Phoenix was dominating opponents, putting on historic efficiency clinics in clutch-time situations that vaulted the team ahead of everyone else. However, a near-worst-case scenario occurred when Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks delivered a knockout blow in the Western Conference semifinals.
How it all ended was a look-in-the-mirror moment for the Suns, one that has brought some ripple effects to their current roster and long-term situation.
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From an off-court perspective, majority owner Robert Sarver will soon sell his stake in the organization following a year-long suspension. Early evaluations lean toward the Suns soon becoming the NBA&rsquo;s most expensive team from new ownership buy-in. Before this occurred, restricted free agency involving 2018 No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton brought some icy feelings, which included internal tension between he and Williams after their Game 7 bench spat. Ayton admitted that the two didn&rsquo;t speak to each other after the season ended, which somehow lasted into training camp.
Ayton signed a lucrative four-year maximum offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, but the Suns matched it within mere minutes; this situation bears watching well into the season. Phoenix&rsquo;s summer flirtation with Kevin Durant, who had the Suns as his preferred trade destination, will only linger until it&rsquo;s finally resolved one way or another by July.
Jae Crowder is also away from the team, as his trade request has been granted. Crowder was expected to take on a reduced role in favor of Cameron Johnson, but the veteran forward wasn&rsquo;t receptive to the idea.
The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania recently reported that the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jae-crowder-and-suns-working-towards-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlanta Hawks are a top candidate to acquire Crowder</a>, but Phoenix won&rsquo;t simply make a deal to get the starting-caliber wing off their roster. Phoenix&rsquo;s intention is to improve their depth in any Crowder transaction, which could happy soon with the regular season on the horizon. Evidenced by the Suns&rsquo; <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/09/24/reports-suns-push-for-jarred-vanderbilt-derailed-bojan-bogdanovic-trade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pursuit of Bojan Bogdanovic (prior to the Detroit trade) and promising young Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt</a>, monitor that framework as any potential outline for a deal moving forward.
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The Hawks are interested in acquiring Jae Crowder, an ideal fit on the wing surrounding Trae Young. <a href="https://t.co/QvlgQUKQY7">https://t.co/QvlgQUKQY7</a>
&mdash; Evan Sidery (@esidery) <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1579494085534306307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mining through the chaos is an all too familiar occurrence in Phoenix that is creeping back into its most successful era since Steve Nash piloted Mike D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s 7 Seconds or Less offense in the mid-2000s. Questions have been persistent all offseason about the Suns after their postseason embarrassment. 
Is the window closing on Phoenix and their realistic championship hopes?
With the Suns&rsquo; core pieces now entering their primes &mdash; led by soon-to-be 26 year old shooting guard Devin Booker &mdash; that would be a strong bet against consistent internal improvement. Booker has now fully established himself as one of the NBA&rsquo;s best scorers. Mikal Bridges was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, and will now be empowered to take more scoring looks this season. Johnson adds much-needed sharpshooting and floor-spacing capabilities while holding his own on the other end of the court. Ayton will also be relied upon as more of a scorer this season since Paul will be going into his age-37 season.
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The biggest questions around the Suns persist from the looming Crowder trade, which will leads right into the second-unit depth. Currently, Phoenix&rsquo;s primary bench rotation consists of Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Torrey Craig, Jock Landale and Dario Saric. Saric&rsquo;s return from a torn ACL suffered in the 2021 Finals helps bring back a connective piece, but it&rsquo;s a lot of pressure on Payne and Shamet to bounce back from subpar campaigns. In turn, the consistent theme of Paul and Booker maintaining their elite status as a backcourt will be of utmost importance in 2022-23.
The Western Conference is only getting stronger around the Suns. The defending-champion Golden State Warriors aren&rsquo;t going anywhere anytime soon. The Denver Nuggets are finally at full strength with the impending returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. alongside two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies continue their climb up the ladder thanks to their young stars. Also, the New Orleans Pelicans easily stand out as a team ripe for a major leap thanks to Zion Williamson&rsquo;s return.
This season, we will truly find out whether the Suns&rsquo; hopes to finally win a championship will be one left in the rear-view mirror, or if it becomes even more of a potential reality with their current core.

Has the window closed on the Suns' championship hopes? Lingering questions need to be answered one way or another this season.

Suns enter prove-it season amid drama, lingering questions

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; LeBron James flashed his midseason form Wednesday night, scoring 23 points in 18 minutes before the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-112.
James, who missed all seven of his shots in Los Angeles&rsquo; loss to Sacramento on Monday, was much more aggressive with the Lakers playing without Anthony Davis. Starting his 20th NBA season, James was 8 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range while playing only the first half.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 22 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Landry Shamet scored 21 points, going 5 of 7 on 3-pointers. Chris Paul finished with 13 points and 10 assists in 26 minutes. Jock Landale had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Suns, who were 14 of 42 from outside the arc.
Dario Saric scored 12 points, going 3 of 4 on free throws in the final 41 seconds.
Kendrick Nunn had 21 points for the Lakers on 8-of-13 shooting, going 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Russell Westbrook had 12 points and six rebounds, while Dwayne Bacon had 11 points for the Lakers. Davis was rested with lower back tightness.
The Suns, coming off a 134-124 loss to the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League, trailed by as many as 13 in the first half as James flourished. That was enough for a 69-62 Los Angeles lead.
But the Los Angeles bench couldn&rsquo;t hold the advantage, with the Suns' reserves holding a 28-20 advantage in the fourth.
TWO CAMs OUT
Cameron Payne and Cam Johnson of the Suns both left the game with hand injuries, Payne with a right finger sprain and Johnson with a right thumb sprain.

Starting his 20th NBA season, James was 8 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 6 from three-point range while playing the first half.