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Suns

The Tyrese Haliburton era is well on its way in Indianapolis, which means it&rsquo;s likely time to say adios to Malcolm Brogdon in an Indiana Pacers uniform. Brogdon is one of the more <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious trade candidates in the NBA this offseason</a> thanks to his consistent injury issues and Haliburton&rsquo;s quick emergence. Despite Brogdon's missed games, he will still attract interest from rival teams.
During Brogdon&rsquo;s three-year tenure with the Pacers, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game on a 55.3 True Shooting percentage. Brogdon always produced when he was on the court for Indiana, but his availability was an issue. Going forward, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Brogdon to shed the &ldquo;injury prone&rdquo; label because it&rsquo;s been an issue dating back to his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
Aside from injury concerns, Brogdon&rsquo;s market will be robust with playofff or championship-hopeful teams lining up for his services. As a versatile multi-positional defender, connective playmaker and secondary scorer, Brogdon can really help a team that's going in the opposite direction as the rebuilding Pacers.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the most realistic trade packages Indiana could expect for Brogdon this offseason. As Indiana turns the page to Haliburton, it&rsquo;s time to extract some value from a potential Brogdon deal.
Phoenix Suns
Pacers receive: Landry Shamet, Dario Saric, 2024 1st-round draft pick (lottery protected)
Suns receive: Malcolm Brogdon, 2022 No. 31 pick
Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of guard depth was exposed throughout the playoffs. They simply can&rsquo;t rely on Cameron Payne anymore, who was a DNP-CD when it mattered most in the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix flirted with the idea of chasing Brogdon before signing Ricky Rubio back in 2019. Three years later, bringing Brogdon to the Valley as the Suns&rsquo; short-term backup and long-term fit alongside Devin Booker is a home run transaction.
Also, there has been some buzz that the Suns are trying to get into the 2022 NBA Draft. They have met with multiple players projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round, including LSU&rsquo;s Tari Eason, Ohio State&rsquo;s E.J. Liddell and Duke&rsquo;s Wendell Moore. Adding any of those prospects will be impossible without adding a pick. The Suns could always buy an early second-round pick for $3 million, but that&rsquo;s never been their way of thinking.
Is this where Suns GM James Jones could get creative to snag a championship piece at discounted value? Brogdon and Chris Paul sharing minutes is a dream scenario for Phoenix since all 48 minutes at point guard would provide well above-average production. Also, we could see three-guard lineups galore thanks to Brogdon&rsquo;s versatility.
In this scenario, Indiana would add a shooter in Shamet who only has two guaranteed years left on his extension. Maybe Shamet could be their Buddy Hield replacement if they also decide to trade him soon. Adding a future first for Brogdon is the right risk for Indiana to take as well.
Utah Jazz
Pacers receive: Mike Conley, Jared Butler, 2025 2nd-round pick
Jazz receive: Malcolm Brogdon
The Jazz desperately need to shake things up. Stagnation is on the horizon in Salt Lake City, if it hasn&rsquo;t reached that point already. Utah may blow it up this offseason, but even if they don't, they need to do something in order to keep Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert happy long-term.
As we saw during the Jazz&rsquo;s quick postseason exit, Conley seems like a shell of himself. Looking back on that trade now, Utah has to be kicking themselves for surrendering so much for the veteran point guard.
Utah needs to get creative to avoid moving one of Mitchell or Gobert soon, so Conley going back home to Indianapolis makes a lot of sense here. Brogdon is a huge upgrade over Conley, and he helps address a dire need of perimeter defense.
Indiana would add a veteran mentor for Haliburton to lean on for a year since Conley&rsquo;s contract isn&rsquo;t fully guaranteed in 2023-24. Adding a young scoring guard in Butler alongside a future second-round pick might not be enough for the Pacers, but it's at least enough to start negotiations.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2023 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2027 1st (lottery protected)
Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Goga Bitadze
This only makes sense if the Pacers are willing to take on the final year of Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, which would have any team second-guessing themselves beforehand. Surprisingly enough, Indiana is actually the betting favorite to land Westbrook if the Lakers offload him this offseason.
The Pacers would need a hefty return in order take on Westbrook while also relinquishing Brogdon and Hield. Adding Horton-Tucker, two future second-round picks and the Lakers&rsquo; next available first-round selection gets the job done. Los Angeles would hate to part with THT and even more draft capital, but Brogdon and Hield are perfect pieces to place alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Who knows, maybe Bitadze slides into the Lakers&rsquo; rotation as the backup center?
Indiana is embracing a full-scale rebuild, and pulling off a move like this would be consistent with that approach.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Pacers receive: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, No. 19 pick, No. 40 pick
Timberwolves receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Goga Bitadze, No. 31 pick, 2023 2nd (via San Antonio Spurs)
As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-dangelo-russell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Nekias Duncan recently wrote</a>, a D&rsquo;Angelo Russell departure from Minnesota feels imminent this summer. It&rsquo;s another unfortunate turn in the career for Russell, who continues to bounce around the Association, unable to find a long-term home. The fit in Minnesota alongside good friend Karl-Anthony Towns had its moments, but Russell&rsquo;s negatives popped up in the postseason when it mattered most. After being benched in crunch-time situations by head coach Chris Finch and not having his name mentioned in The Athletic&rsquo;s recent story on new executive Tim Connelly, it wouldn't be shocking to see Russell playing elsewhere in 2022-23.
Even with the Pacers already having Haliburton and Chris Duarte, this feels like a spot where they could take a year-long look at Russell as a potential long-term backcourt piece. As a former top-three pick, Russell would bring more fanfare to the Pacers&rsquo; rebuild. And if he meshes well alongside Haliburton, Russell could become a long-term piece in Indiana and finally find a home.
From the Timberwolves&rsquo; point of view, this makes a whole lot of sense. Brogdon is a much better fit alongside Towns and Anthony Edwards, as he's easily able to slide into the No. 3 scoring role while providing an ideal complementary low-usage skill set. Taking a flier on Bitadze, a former top-20 pick, is also interesting, and as he could back up Towns.
Miami Heat
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, 2023 1st (lottery protected)
Heat receive: Malcolm Brogdon
As we&rsquo;ve seen unfold late in the postseason, Miami needs to find another offensive creator. Simply put, the Heat need more weapons to compete with the NBA&rsquo;s current juggernauts. Luckily for Miami, some much-needed flexibility could be on the way.
The Duncan Robinson contract looks like a disaster, but what if they could use his bloated salary and some future draft capital to bring in an immediate impact piece? Brogdon feels like the perfect remedy for Miami since he can take playmaking pressure off of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Brogdon and Lowry could split minutes, which is a huge benefit for both players and would help keep them fresh and out of the training room.
For Indiana, they could be comfortable taking on Robinson&rsquo;s contract with all of their salary-cap space currently available. Adding Strus and a draft pick could make this deal worth it for the Pacers.
All of a sudden, Miami is now in a strong position to make another deep postseason push with Brogdon onboard for 2022-23 and beyond.
***
Every team in the NBA needs shooting, defensive versatility and playmaking. Even with his injury history, Brogdon would be well worth the risk for any team looking to take the next step forward.
If Brogdon is able to stay healthy, adding him at this price could be a coup for whichever team is next after Milwaukee and Indiana.
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With the Tyrese Haliburton era blossoming for the Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most logical NBA trade candidates.

Examining potential trade destinations for Malcolm Brogdon

Chris Paul scored 19 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Suns overcame Devin Booker&rsquo;s absence to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 114-111 on Friday night in Game 3 of the first-round series.
Deandre Ayton added 28 points and 17 rebounds to help the top-seeded Suns take a 2-1 series lead. Paul scored 15 of Phoenix&rsquo;s first 23 points of the final quarter. He also had 14 assists.
Booker strained his right hamstring Tuesday night after scoring 31 first-half points in a 125-114 home loss. He sat on the bench during Game 3.
Mikal Bridges had 17 points for the Suns. Backup center center JaVale McGee scored 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting as the Suns hurt the Pelicans inside.
Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 34 points. CJ McCollum had 30.
Game 4 is Sunday night in New Orleans.
Jose Alvarado kept the Pelicans in it in the fourth with seven consecutive points, but Paul answered with five straight points and an assist to tie it at 90 with 6:32 left. Paul then had eight consecutive points for a 98-93 lead.
The Suns took their biggest lead, 66-53, early in the third quarter, but New Orleans used a 12-0 run over the next 2:43 to pull to 66-63. McCollum was the catalyst with a 3-pointer and a layup, and New Orleans pulled to 81-79 entering the fourth quarter on the strength of a 31-22 third-period run.
McCollum&rsquo;s 16-foot jumper with 5:13 left in the first half tied it at 43, but while the ball was in the air, Pelicans forward Jaxson Hayes barreled into Jae Crowder, who was standing on the baseline near the basket. Hayes&rsquo; shoulder-to-chest foul was reviewed and earned him a Flagrant 2 foul and an ejection.
That dustup sparked a 16-5 Phoenix run to close the half, and the Suns led 59-48 at intermission.
Ayton, who was held to just 10 points in a Game 2 loss to New Orleans, had 21 points in the half on 10-of-14 shooting, with four of his baskets coming on feeds from Paul.
TIP-INS
Suns: SG Landry Shamet has the confidence of coach Monty Williams. &ldquo;He the ability to score the ball and play-make, get downhill,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;But defensively, he fights, and that&rsquo;s something that we&rsquo;ve noticed with him. He&rsquo;ll make plays blocking shots at the rim. He&rsquo;ll stick his nose in there to rebound on the backside. So he&rsquo;s been a guy that we&rsquo;ve been able to rely on in situations like this.&rdquo; He had five points, missing all five of his 3-point attempts.
Pelicans: Reserve PG Devonte Graham, who has struggled offensively, had 11 first-points, including three 3-pointers&hellip; Coach Willie Green said he could sense a growing momentum among Pelicans fans in what is normally considered a football city. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re thankful and grateful for our fans and the support that we&rsquo;ve been getting,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to put a team forward that represents the city well, and I think we&rsquo;re moving in the right direction, and I think people can feel that.&rdquo;

Chris Paul scored 19 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 114-111 in Game 3.

Paul, Ayton help Booker-less Suns beat Pelicans 114-111

It&rsquo;s unfortunate NBA fans were robbed of what was bound to be a special moment on Tuesday night in Phoenix. Devin Booker was going supernova, putting up 31 points in the first half and taking the breath out of every spectator as they watched it unfold. The Suns' superstar seized the moment and pounced on the New Orleans Pelicans relentlessly, potentially on his way to dropping a postseason 50-burger.
As such, Phoenix was also well on its way to taking a commanding 2-0 series lead before the series shifted back to New Orleans, but Booker exited midway through the third quarter due to right hamstring tightness. Booker suffered the injury chasing Jaxson Hayes back in transition, which was a bugaboo for the Suns throughout their 125-114 loss in Game 2.
ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Booker has a mild hamstring strain, which is likely to keep him out of the next two games in New Orleans. The positive note, though, is that the strain is believed to be mild, and Booker hasn&rsquo;t been ruled out for the remainder of Phoenix&rsquo;s opening-round series.
&ldquo;It is what it is. It&rsquo;s part of the game, you know what I mean," Chris Paul said postgame of losing Booker. "We got guys that are more than capable of stepping&nbsp;up. I mean, Book was killing it. He was having a big time game, but it is what it is.&rdquo;
Booker erupted in the first half against the Pelicans, and he continued to stay hot in all portions of the game. Kicking it all off with 16 first-quarter points, Booker followed his opening frame with 15 in the second quarter. Hitting 7 threes along the way, the Suns' 25-year-old star was doing whatever he wanted against New Orleans.
&ldquo;He was hot. He was scoring the ball well and playing well all across the board, so it is what it is," Cameron Johnson said. "We have to&nbsp;continue to fight and continue to play our style of basketball.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
DEVIN BOOKER FROM THE LOGO. HE'S GOT 31 AT HALFTIME 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel on TNT <a href="https://t.co/KvE4PhzA6n">pic.twitter.com/KvE4PhzA6n</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1516615684964425728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Booker returning for Game 5 in six days could very much be in play, especially if it&rsquo;s indeed mild and there&rsquo;s no setbacks. If the Suns are able to split against the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center, their job will be done in snatching back home-court advantage without Booker.
As New Orleans showed in Game 2, though, it is a group ready to make this tough on the betting favorites to win this year&rsquo;s NBA Finals.
Pelicans head coach Willie Green, a former Suns assistant, put together an excellent game plan to stymie Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul from having major impacts. Green has implemented Suns-esque DNA into the Pelicans, empowering his players to the highest belief and the same never-give-up mindset.
When Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum catch fire simultaneously, it's tough for any team to handle. However, the Suns&rsquo; lack of defensive discipline on the perimeter was apparent, as the Pelicans shot a blistering 17 of 31 on threes. Ingram put on a scoring clinic with 37 points &mdash; most of which came against Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges &mdash; reminding everyone just how special of a talent he is.
As our own Nekias Duncan wrote, Phoenix&rsquo;s adjustments without Booker will <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-no-devin-booker-the-phoenix-suns-will-need-a-lift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revolve around its patented ball movement</a> in head coach Monty Williams&rsquo; &ldquo;0.5 offense&rdquo; scheme. More of the burden will be on Paul&rsquo;s shoulders, and the Pelicans have forced Phoenix into having Jae Crowder or Johnson bring the ball up the court to avoid Herb Jones' full-court pressure on CP3.
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Earlier this season, Booker missed time due to a left hamstring strain he suffered in the Suns' fun back-and-forth battle with the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 30. In seven games without Booker, Phoenix went 5-2 with three wins by double-digits. When canvassing through the numbers for this two-week stretch, Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet saw boosts in their roles. We already saw this play out in the second half of Game 2, which included Shamet playing most of the fourth quarter in Booker&rsquo;s absence.
Zooming out on Booker&rsquo;s hamstring issue, what is worrisome is that this is now becoming a recurring soft tissue issue. Since 2018, Booker has missed time on the injury report with "Hamstring" listed six times, and he also let it be known he played in the Finals last season with a similar problem as well.
Hamstring woes have been a constant for Booker throughout his career, but this popping up now is such unfortunate timing. Luckily it&rsquo;s only the first round against a 36-win Pelicans team, but there&rsquo;s no doubt about it that this series could be a tough road ahead for Phoenix. With the way New Orleans is rallying as an inspired group, a six-game series feels like the most realistic scenario with Booker&rsquo;s presumed return next week.
The 2021-22 Suns are one of the most dominant NBA teams in the last few years. On their way to securing a franchise record 64-win campaign, they fought though multiple injuries where important players missed extended time (Paul, Ayton, Johnson and Booker all included). That same next-man-up mentality was what Williams alluded to postgame after a stunning loss for the Suns, but now, the momentum of this series has temporarily shifted.
As the series heads back to the Bayou, tough sledding is ahead for the Suns without Booker in what should be an electric playoff environment.
Expect to see Phoenix trot out a new starting lineup where Johnson is inserted for Booker, making it: Paul, Bridges, Johnson, Crowder, Ayton. During the regular season, this five-man lineup combination only logged 12 games and 40 total minutes together. In that short sample size, though, it was outscoring opponents by 35.6 points per 100 possessions (123.5 Offensive Rating, 88.0 Defensive Rating).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Cam Johnson steals &amp; slams to retake the lead 😤 <a href="https://t.co/dfLX5fhA6Y">pic.twitter.com/dfLX5fhA6Y</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1516629536212803587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Phoenix dodged a serious long-term bullet with the initial diagnosis on Booker&rsquo;s aggravated hamstring, but a worst-case scenario occurred for the team in Game 3. The Suns lost their star player, and that has handed over momentum to an underdog on a silver platter, now making what was believed to be a quick series a much more treacherous path.
Although it will only sideline him around a week, this series will take a few turns before his eventual return. If the Pelicans stay hot behind the arc, and continue to abuse Phoenix in the rebounding department, who knows how this looks when Game 5 tips off next Tuesday.
Urgency is in the air in Phoenix, a rare feeling that has to be punctuated by taking back the series on the road without its best player.
&ldquo;We going to be ready, man," Bridges said. "That&rsquo;s our brother, so obviously hoping everything goes right, but I know everybody is ready to step up, so we&rsquo;ll be ready. We went through regular season games without him and (Chris Paul) and (Deandre Ayton), so we&rsquo;ll be ready for sure.&rdquo;
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Devin Booker's dazzling superstar performance for the Suns in Game 2 ended in a screeching halt. With Booker out, what's next?

Devin Booker's hamstring injury shifts momentum of Suns-Pelicans

Hamstring injuries freakin'&nbsp;suck.&nbsp;
Not only are they painful and annoying to deal with, they have the ability to linger. You never quite know when you're in the clear. As Charles Barkley alluded to following the New Orleans Pelicans' 125-114 Game 2 victory, you can be 100% one day and back on the shelf the next.
This is the plight of Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. After cooking in the first half to the tune of 31 points, he tweaked his hamstring in the third quarter and didn't return. As of this writing, there's no timetable for Booker's return. That obviously puts Booker's Game 3 status in flux, but, again, hamstring injuries are tricky. Even when he's back, a close eye on his health will be warranted.
Following Booker's injury, more of the offense naturally shifted to Chris Paul. The burden was clear in the fourth quarter, where Paul played all 12 minutes and received 25 ball-screens in the process, via Second Spectrum. It was only the seventh time this season that Paul received more than 20 in a fourth quarter; the only game where Paul received more screens (26 against the San Antonio Spurs on December 6) was one without Booker.
To that point, the Suns got pretty busy in that quarter. Trips featuring a Paul ball screen generated nearly 1.27 points per possession (PPP); for reference, the Utah Jazz led the NBA in offensive rating at 1.16 PPP.
The Suns were even better against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, with Paul-led ball screens generating nearly 1.5 PPP. To do that is insane; to do that without Booker as a release valve or bail-out option is even more ridiculous.
Without Booker, the Suns needed a lift. A literal one. They often set up pick-and-rolls with ghost screens before Paul and his center &mdash; JaVale McGee to begin the quarter, then Deandre Ayton later &mdash; did their dance.
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While the pick-and-roll would occur, a shooter would lift up the floor to put a Pelicans helper in a tough spot. Tagging the big on the roll would leave the shooter open; hugging the shooter would give the big a lane to the rim.
The Suns opened the fourth quarter with a pick-and-lift combo. Landry Shamet ghosted a screen to end up on the left wing, then Paul and McGee flowed into a pick-and-roll. That placed Jose Alvarado into a pick-your-poison situation.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_04_20_18_59_06_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
With Herb Jones getting caught up on the screen for Paul, Larry Nance Jr. steps up to take away a pull-up middy. Since Nance Jr. stepped up to Paul, Alvarado dropped down to account for McGee's roll. If you're counting at home, that's three Pelicans accounting for two Suns. There's a guy missing.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_04_20_19_01_18_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Ah. There he is.
The beauty of the Suns' offense is that there are layers and variations to everything they do. They can get more creative, like here when they threw in an exit screen for Shamet while having Cam Johnson (right corner) lift during Ayton's roll.
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Poor Alvarado, man.
They can also simplify it &mdash; go basic spread pick-and-roll with a lone shooter on a side. Watch Johnson, first and foremost, while also noting that the Pelicans went from drop coverage to a more aggressive scheme with Jonas Valanciunas.&nbsp;
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That's the good stuff. It's imperative that the Suns manipulate helpers to create advantages, because their best advantage-creator is on the mend right now.&nbsp;
However, this is a two-way street. Much like the Suns were &mdash; and will need to be &mdash; able to generate goodness with their lifts, they also have to be much better about defending them. The Pelicans had some fun in Game 2.
My favorite stretch came midway-ish through the third quarter. The Pelicans set up a similar exit-screen strategy on one side, while Trey Murphy ghosted a screen and relocated to the right wing. That left the right corner open, giving Nance Jr. an unhealthy amount of space to run into for this lob.
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A little bit later, the Pelicans set up the same thing. With the Suns keying in on the Nance Jr. lob, Murphy executed a lift of his own and got three points out of it.&nbsp;
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I love a good half-court counter.
This series was always going to come down to a blend of half-court execution and #ethical shot-making. The Suns had Booker as a headliner, Paul as a guy who can do it in spurts (hello, Game 1) and a ridiculously deep playbook. The Pelicans have Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and some nifty half-court tricks in their own bag.
If Booker is out of the equation, the Suns will have to lean more on the half-court execution. Their off-ball movement may be the lift they need.
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Nekias Duncan highlights an area of the Phoenix Suns' offense that they'll need to tap into with Devin Booker injured.

With no Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns will need a lift

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Chris Paul scored 19 of his 30 points during a brilliant fourth-quarter shooting display and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 110-99 on Sunday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
The top-seeded Suns needed Paul's big finish despite dominating most of the game. The Pelicans shook off a slow start, cutting a 23-point deficit to 79-71 by the end of the third.
New Orleans kept hitting shots in the fourth, but that&rsquo;s when Paul took over, hitting three 3-pointers and a layup in 2 1/2 minutes in a flurry that kept the Pelicans chasing. The ageless veteran will turn 37 later in these playoffs if the Suns advance far enough, but once again looked a decade younger.
Paul has never won a championship, falling just short with the Suns last year when they lost to the Bucks in six games in the Finals. He's fond of saying he never takes postseason basketball for granted and his 130th career playoff game was among his best.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.
The Suns were 47-0 in the regular season when leading after three quarters. Now they're 1-0 in the playoffs.
Paul shot 12 for 16 from the field, including 4 of 6 on 3-pointers.
Devin Booker &mdash; who finished with 25 points &mdash; hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession and the Suns never trailed, using a ferocious defensive effort to quickly take control. Phoenix led 53-34 by halftime, forcing the Pelicans into just 11 of 49 shooting (22%) before the break.
Suns big man Deandre Ayton was particularly dominant on the defensive end with four blocks, and had 21 points and nine rebounds, At one point in the third quarter, he swatted a shot from Jonas Valanciunas and turned toward the crowd, screaming as the fans returned a roar in approval.
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 25 points, but struggled with his shooting much of the night. He finished 9 of 25 from the field. Valanciunas added 18 points and 25 rebounds. Brandon Ingram scored 18 points.
New Orleans made its surprise trip to the playoffs by winning two games in the play-in tournament, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 on Friday night.
That gave the Pelicans plenty of momentum, but the Suns had the fresh legs and it showed.
The Suns' initial energy was impressive, particularly on the defensive end. They led by 16 at one point in the first quarter before settling for a 28-16 advantage going into the second.
FRIENDLY FACEOFF
It's no secret Suns coach Monty Williams and Pelicans coach Willie Green are close friends and colleagues.
Green was Williams' lead assistant last season during the Suns' run to the Finals before earning the head coaching job in New Orleans during the offseason.
Williams said he texted Green to congratulate him following the Pelicans' win over the Clippers on Friday. Otherwise, he said there's been no communcation.
&ldquo;We haven't had some long, drawn-out conversation with violins playing behind us or anything like that," Williams said pregame. &ldquo;We've got to prepare our teams to play. I'm looking forward to the competition.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pelicans: F Zion Williamson (right foot fracture) isn't expected to play this series. ... Larry Nance Jr. scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Suns: G Landry Shamet (sprained left foot) missed practice on Friday but was listed as available on Sunday. He didn't play. ... Cam Johnson finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. JaVale McGee added seven points and seven rebounds. ... Mikal Bridges was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter.

Chris Paul's huge 4th quarter fuels an easy Phoenix Game 1 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Chris Paul takes over in 4th, Suns beat Pelicans 110-99

The Suns say that Landry Shamet left today&rsquo;s practice with a left foot injury, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/kellanolson/status/1515048101760823301?s=21&amp;t=DkXKVnJbHFJIlV6l-NDxsQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kellan Olson of 98.7 Arizona Sports</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Landry Shamet left today&rsquo;s practice with a left foot injury, per Suns
&mdash; Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) <a href="https://twitter.com/KellanOlson/status/1515048101760823301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

The Suns say that Landry Shamet left practice with a left foot injury.

Landry Shamet left Suns' practice with left foot injury

The Phoenix Suns have several reasons to be confident they can make another deep playoff run. They have the No. 1 overall seed, they're talented, they're healthy and their roster has loads of continuity and postseason experience after advancing to the Finals last season.
Confident, but not cocky as they've pegged one trait they believe could knock them off track in pursuit of their first NBA title &mdash; hubris.
&ldquo;I am not like some old, wise playoff sage that I can sit up here and wax eloquently the step-by-step process,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;I have a level of humility for the process.&rdquo;
The Suns are trying to follow a brilliant regular season by finally bringing a championship to the desert. The franchise has been to the Finals three times &mdash; in 1976, 1993 and last season &mdash; but never won it all.
It's easy to see why the Suns are optimistic this team could end the streak. They just finished a 64-win season that was eight wins better than any other team in the league thanks to the All-Star backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, along with a rapidly improving supporting cast that includes Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
The dominant regular season was an important statement for many on the team &mdash; particularly Booker &mdash; who still feel the Suns don't get the proper amount of respect following last year's Finals appearance. They took a 2-0 lead in the championship series before losing the next four to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Now the goal is to finish the job. They'll open the playoffs Sunday against the winner of the Pelicans-Clippers play-in game Friday night in Los Angeles.
&ldquo;I think there's a whole other level we can tap into,&rdquo; Booker said.
The Suns didn't change their roster much following the loss to the Bucks, opting instead to make another run with the same nucleus. General manager James Jones did make a few shrewd moves to bolster the bench, adding center JaVale McGee in free agency and guard Landry Shamet in a trade. Both have been key parts of the second unit.
The 7-foot-1 McGee has been particularly valuable, providing rim protection and hustle when starter Deandre Ayton's out of the game. He's also turned into a fan favorite and likes to call the Suns &ldquo;the best basketball team in the world.&rdquo;
But most of the team's improvement came from within. The Paul-Booker pairing has been impressive, adding a stellar new chapter to the 36-year-old Paul's career and helping Booker to become one of the league's bona fide stars.
Bridges has grown into a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and is averaging a career-best 14.2 points per game. He's also been a rock in the starting lineup when others were out with injuries or COVID-19, playing in 309 consecutive games over four seasons, which is the longest streak in the NBA.
Ayton changed the trajectory of his career in last year's playoffs &mdash; growing from and inconsistent young player to a legitimate force in the paint &mdash; and continues to impress.
The Suns were roundly criticized for taking the big man with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 ahead of stars Luka Doncic and Trae Young, but Ayton has turned into a productive player in his own right, shooting a career-high 63% from the field while averaging more than 17 points and 10 rebounds per game.
The Suns also have a productive bench.
The 6-foot-8 Johnson has become one of the league's most productive reserves. The 26-year-old was known as a shooter when he came into the league three years ago and his 42.5% mark from 3-point range certainly fits the description. But he's also a sneaky athlete who can get to the rim for powerful dunks and often finishes the game with the starters in the fourth quarter.
Phoenix's 64-win regular season is another accomplishment for Paul, who has few rivals in NBA history when it comes to making teams better. His presence and production have helped the Clippers, Rockets, Hornets and now Suns establish new franchise records for wins in a season.
There's only one thing that remains.
&ldquo;It would be nice to put a championship with all that,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the goal, that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re working towards.&rdquo;
But after playing 1,155 career NBA games, Paul knows a good regular season when he sees one.
And the Suns were the league's best.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t take that lightly though because it&rsquo;s a lot of work, it&rsquo;s a lot of hard work that goes into year-in and year-out playing and competing,&rdquo; Paul added. "At the end of the day, you want to have a chance. You at least want to have a chance, and I&rsquo;m grateful to be here with this group.&rdquo;
___
AP freelance writer Bob Huhn contributed to this story.

The Suns are trying to follow a brilliant regular season by finally bringing a championship to the desert.

Confident, not cocky: Loaded Suns ready for playoff run

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

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

Powell returns, Clippers beat Suns for 3rd straight win

Devin Booker scored 32 points and the Phoenix Suns won their franchise-record 63rd game of the season Tuesday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-110. The loss eliminated Los Angeles from the playoff race.
It was a tight game during the first half but Phoenix used a 29-9 run in the third quarter to create separation. The rest of the game was essentially a celebration for the Suns, who danced and dunked their way past the forlorn Lakers.
Los Angeles &mdash; playing without LeBron James for a second straight game because of a sprained ankle &mdash; has lost seven straight. Russell Westbrook scored 28 points while Anthony Davis added 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Deandre Ayton had 22 points for Phoenix (63-16), which avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season.
Even without James, the Lakers led for a big chunk of the first half. But the Suns started to take control late in the second quarter, and two straight alley-oops from Chris Paul to Ayton put Phoenix up 56-50.
The Suns took a 63-58 into halftime. Booker scored 16 points and Ayton added 14. Westbrook had 18 points for the Lakers before the break.
Phoenix pulled away in the third quarter, jumping to an 84-65 advantage in the first six minutes. Booker scored 16 points in the third and finished 12 of 22 from the field, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range.
Once the Suns built their big lead, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t seem particularly interested in mounting a comeback. Los Angeles finished with 16 turnovers, plagued by the same poor decisions that have hurt the Lakers much of the season.
NO PLAYOFFS
The Lakers have potentially five future Hall of Famers on their roster &mdash; James, Davis, Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard &mdash; and still couldn&rsquo;t find a way to make the playoffs.
Davis and James missed significant chunks of the season with injuries and Westbrook never seemed to mesh well with his new team.
SURGING SUNS
The Suns surprised much of the NBA by making a run to the Finals last season before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
Phoenix didn&rsquo;t sneak up on anyone this season, but has been even better. Paul and Booker were once again All-Stars, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Ayton continued to improve and new additions like JaVale McGee and Landry Shamet solidified the bench.
Phoenix&rsquo;s 63-16 record is eight games better than the Memphis Grizzlies, who are second in the NBA with 55 wins.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Howard had eight points and six rebounds in the first quarter. He came into the game averaging 5.8 points per game. ... Austin Reaves scored 18 points off the bench.
Suns: Booker, Ayton and Jae Crowder all played after sitting out Sunday&rsquo;s loss to the Thunder. ... McGee added nine points and nine rebounds. ... The Suns topped their previous record of 62 wins in a season. They accomplished it twice, in 1992-93 and again in 2004-05. ... The Suns swept the Lakers this season, winning all four games. ... The Suns hosted a sellout crowd for a 25th straight game.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
Suns: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Behind Devin Booker's 32 points, the Suns beat the Lakers 121-110 on Tuesday night, eliminating Los Angeles from the playoff race.

Lakers eliminated from playoffs with 121-110 loss to Suns

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

Dominant Suns tired of disrespect, still taking care of business

Deandre Ayton scored a career-high 35 points and had 14 rebounds, Devin Booker had 22 of his 28 points in the second half and the Phoenix Suns surged past the trash-talking Minnesota Timberwolves 125-116 on Wednesday night.
Landry Shamet scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to help fuel the rally and bring the NBA-leading Suns within one win &mdash; or Memphis loss &mdash; of wrapping up homecourt advantage for the entire playoffs. The Suns, 18-4 in their last 22 games and 59-14 overall, have a nine-game lead with nine games left.
Anthony Edwards scored 19 points for Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 15 points and 11 rebounds &mdash; but only three points and three rebounds in the second half after he woke up the Suns with his trash-talking late the first.
The Timberwolves dropped 1 1/2 games behind Denver for the No. 6 seed that avoids the play-in tournament. Minnesota has its first two-game losing streak since Feb. 9-11.
Short-handed Phoenix won its sixth straight and completed its first sweep of three or more games against Minnesota in 11 seasons.
The Timberwolves had a 15-point lead in the third quarter and were still up 88-83 at the start of the fourth, but went cold and their energy was sapped.
Shamet gave the Suns their first lead at 95-94 with a pair of free throws with 8:35 to go, and the Timberwolves trailed the rest of the way.
This matchup of two of the four highest-scoring teams in the NBA &mdash; the Timberwolves are first &mdash; had the fast pace to go with it, plus plenty of postseason-style intensity.
The Suns, who have confidently maintained their comfortable margin for the NBA's best record without the playmaking and leadership of 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul for the last month, fell behind 15-4 early and 66-51 shortly after halftime.
The bright side to the absence of Paul, who has been making incremental progress and appears to be nearing a return, has been elevated roles and responsibilities for others like Bridges and Shamet. The Suns also are missing sixth-man Cam Johnson.
Sporting a 11-4 record since Paul broke his right thumb, the Suns never flinched against a promising team trying to make its way up with young energy, a deep offense and a dose of bravado.
BACK AND FORTH
The Timberwolves were upset by the officiating in their last game, a two-point loss at Dallas, and there were times in this one when their emotions were more productive than others.
Towns drove to the basket late in the second quarter and delivered a one-handed dunk on Jae Crowder complete with a stare-down, igniting the crowd and irritating the Suns. Just a few seconds later, a double technical foul was called on Towns and Crowder. Then Timberwolves coach Chris Finch got one, too, for his protest.
Crowder later clipped Timberwolves pest Patrick Beverley in the head to draw a Flagrant 1 foul after the video review, putting Beverley at the line after time in the first half expired.
The disciplinary whistles kept coming after halftime. Ayton drew a technical in the third quarter.
DOWN THE STRETCH
The Timberwolves will have the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, but they're facing a stiff test to secure the sixth seed. Minnesota's game at Denver on April 1 could well be the determinant.
The Nuggets have nine games left, and five of them are against teams that were 10 or more games under the .500 mark entering Wednesday. The Timberwolves have eight games remaining, five against opponents eight games or more above .500.
TIP-INS
Suns: Mikal Bridges had 16 points. ... Cam Payne, Paul's backup, returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with an illness. ... Ayton has 119 points in six career games against Minnesota.
Timberwolves: Towns passed the 11,000-point mark in the 475th game of his career. Hall of Fame member Kevin Garnett is the only other player in franchise history to reach that milestone, having done so in 575 games. ... The bench had a 55-28 scoring edge on the Suns. The Timberwolves fell to 21-10 this season when their reserves score 40-plus points.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Denver on Thursday night.
Timberwolves: Host Dallas on Friday night.

Deandre Ayton scored a career-high 35 points and had 14 rebounds, Devin Booker had 22 of his 28 points in the second half.

Ayton has career-high 35 points, Suns rally past T-Wolves

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Landry Shamet made a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in overtime moments after missing an open look beyond the arc and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 127-124 on Sunday.
Damian Jones gave the Kings a 121-120 lead with a putback dunk not long after the Suns star Devin Booker fouled out. Shamet&rsquo;s 25-foot try missed, but Phoenix grabbed the rebound. Following a timeout, Shamet hit his fifth 3-pointer of the game to put the Suns ahead by two.
After Mikal Bridges &mdash; who had 27 points for short-handed Phoenix &mdash; made the second of two free throws, Jones made one from the stripe, but missed the second. Aaron Holiday grabbed the rebound and Torrey Craig dunked.
Booker scored 19 of his 31 points in the third quarter as the Suns won their fifth straight to improve to 58-14 &mdash; nine games ahead of second-place Memphis for the best record in the league.
Shamet finished with 21 points. Center Deandre Ayton had 12 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Backup center JaVale McGee had 14 points before fouling out in overtime.
Already missing All-Star point guard Chris Paul (broken right thumb) and sixth-man Cam Johnson (right quad contusion), the Suns were with without backup point guard Cam Payne because of a non-COVID-19 illness. Jae Crowder, who returned following a two-game absence due to groin soreness, limped off with a right foot injury in the third quarter.
Davion Mitchell, starting in place of injured point guard De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, had 28 points and nine assists for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists before leaving with an apparent left knee injury in the fourth quarter. The Kings have lost 10 of 13.
Booker put the Suns ahead 110-108 with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter before Mitchell&rsquo;s layup forced overtime. McGee scored six of the Suns first eight points in overtime.
TIP-INS
Suns: Booker has 136 career games with 30 points or more. &hellip; Phoenix had almost as many turnovers (eight) as assists (10) in the first half. &hellip; Elfrid Payton started at point guard for the Suns.
Kings: Fox sat out a second straight game because of a right hand injury.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Kings: At Indiana on Wednesday night.
&nbsp;

Landry Shamet made a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in overtime and the Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 127-124.

Shamet hits key 3-pointer in OT, Suns rally to beat Kings

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; As if the Phoenix Suns aren&rsquo;t strong enough already, Deandre Ayton is adding some dimensions to his game.
&ldquo;He is aggressive in the post. I didn&rsquo;t see a ton of finesse,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said after Ayton scored 20 points in the Suns&rsquo; 129-102 rout of the Chicago Bulls Friday night to move closer to clinching the NBA's best regular-season record this season.
&ldquo;I saw, &lsquo;I am getting to my spot and if you are not going to give me any resistance, I may go through you.&rsquo;"
Ayton was 8 of 11 from the field, continuing to make mid-range jumpers while also getting inside for easier shots. He also led the Suns with 12 rebounds.
At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left. Memphis lost at Atlanta earlier Friday.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 28 points. The Suns rolled despite being without two starters &mdash; point guard Chris Paul and forward Jae Crowder &mdash; and sixth man Cam Johnson, all out with injuries.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to be &lsquo;Chris and Book&rsquo; dimensional,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;We want to be comfortable to go to other guys so that in those key moments it is not something new to them.&rdquo;
They certainly weren't Friday. Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11.
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for Chicago, fifth in the Eastern Conference at 41-29. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11.
The Suns are 9-4 without Paul, out since the All-Star break with a fractured right thumb.
Craig started his second game in place of Crowder, and the forward came through with another strong performance. On Wednesday night at Houston, Craig scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and had 14 rebounds.
&ldquo;To get the lead that we got and sustain it, then maintain it throughout the second half was pretty impressive,&rdquo; Craig said.
For the Bulls, it was more of the same. They lost their third in a row to fall to 2-6 in March. All the losses in the streak have been on the road, where Chicago is 16-19. After a home game on Monday, the Bulls play five straight on the road.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from Phoenix or teams we&rsquo;ve played against, but we&rsquo;ve got to be able to have a better response when shots aren&rsquo;t going in,&rdquo; Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;I thought some of the (Suns&rsquo;) offensive rebounds in the second quarter really hurt us, and then we started missing shots. We gotta develop a resilience when it&rsquo;s not going well.&rdquo;
DeRozan said the team is dealing with some new adversity after a solid season.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re at that time of the year where nothing is a secret," he said. "We&rsquo;ve played great basketball and now teams are coming after us no matter who we play. Once we figure it out, we&rsquo;ll be fine.&rdquo;
The teams met on Feb. 7 in Chicago, with Booker scoring 38 points in a 127-124 Suns victory.
&ldquo;That is a really good team over there and we played really well,&rdquo; Booker said. &ldquo;We enjoy that matchup.&rdquo;
NUMBERS
The Suns (48.5%) and Bulls (48.2%) entered Friday as the top field-goal percentage teams in the NBA. The Suns bettered their season average, making 56% while the Bulls struggled and made just 41%.
IRISH PRIDE
Williams was busy preparing for his team&rsquo;s game, but he was able to keep track of Notre Dame&rsquo;s upset victory over Alabama in the NCAA tournament earlier Friday.
&ldquo;I saw a little before I left, and then I got a text telling me that they won,&rdquo; the former Irish forward said before the game. Williams played at Notre Dame from 1989-94. &ldquo;Coach (Mike) Brey has just changed our program. I hope he&rsquo;s there for another 20 years.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big win for us because it&rsquo;s hard to get those elite players to come to Notre Dame, because of other stuff. For him to do it in a year where this is not one of the years they&rsquo;ve been really really good is great."
INJURY UPDATE
Bulls: PF Patrick Williams could return to the Bulls next week, Donovan said. Williams has missed 65 games with a wrist injury that required surgery.
Williams is likely to play Sunday for the Bulls&rsquo; Windy City G-League team before he returns to the NBA.
Donovan also said the status of G Lonzo Ball (right knee) has not changed. Ball, out since Jan. 28, is in the middle of the original prognosis of six to eight weeks, but he has not been able to resume activities. Donovan said there is a chance he will not return before the regular season ends in three weeks.
Suns: Crowder (left groin soreness) is being brought along slowly. He also missed sat out Wednesday night at Houston. Johnson (right quad) has missed eight games.
NEXT
Bulls: Host Toronto on Monday night.
Suns: At Sacramento on Sunday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Deandre Ayton scored 20 points as the Phoenix Suns rout the Chicago Bulls 129-102.

Suns rout Bulls, move closer to wrapping up top spot in NBA

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

Why doesn't Precious Achiuwa start for the Raptors?

Khris Middleton scored a season-high 44 points, Jrue Holiday had 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied to beat the short-handed Phoenix Suns 132-122 on Sunday.
Milwaukee outscored Phoenix 12-1 over the last three minutes to win in the Suns&rsquo; first visit since Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in a 105-98 Game 6 victory gave the Bucks their first NBA title in 50 years. In their only previous matchup this season, the Suns won 131-107 in Phoenix on Feb. 10.
The NBA-leading Suns were playing without their usual All-Star starting backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Booker missed his third straight game due to the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. Paul broke his right thumb Feb. 16.
Phoenix also was missing Cam Johnson, two days after he scored 38 points in a 115-114 victory over the New York Knicks. Johnson has a bruised right quadriceps.
The Bucks won their fourth straight as they completed arguably their toughest three-game stretch of the season. In each of those three games, they came from behind down the stretch.
Milwaukee beat Miami 120-119 on Wednesday night and Chicago 118-112 on Friday night. The Bucks erased a 14-point deficit in the final six minutes of the Heat game and trailed the Bulls by seven points at the start of the fourth quarter.
This time, the Bucks trailed by five in the final period and withstood the foul trouble of Antetokounmpo, who had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes before fouling out with 1:12 left.
Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 30 points. Cam Payne had 23, Jae Crowder 19, Landry Shamet 17 and Mikal Bridges 14.
Serge Ibaka had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks. Jordan Nwora had 12 points and Grayson Allen added 10.
The Suns led 107-102 when Antetokounmpo went to the bench after picking up his fifth foul with 7:40 left.
But the Bucks outscored the Suns 18-11 in the four-plus minutes Antetokounmpo missed and owned a 120-118 lead when the two-time MVP returned to the floor with 3:23 remaining.
Crowder sank a 3-pointer to put the Suns back ahead with 3:13 left. Nwora missed a 3-point attempt on the Bucks&rsquo; next possession, but Antetokounmpo got the rebound and passed to Nwora, who hit a jumper to put Milwaukee back in front for good with 2:52 remaining.
The Bucks rolled from there. Middleton scored the game&rsquo;s final seven points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Bucks a double-digit edge with 21.6 seconds left.
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix coach Monty Williams has said on multiple occasions that the loss to the Bucks in the finals would make his team better. Williams said Sunday he mentioned that again to Antetokounmpo during the All-Star Game festivities. &ldquo;In any sport, when you lose like that, you have to really be honest with yourself as to why,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;If you were a boxer and you got clipped with a right cross, you know what I&rsquo;m saying, you&rsquo;re going to keep your left up. You&rsquo;re going to learn how to build your stamina to keep your left upright. Those are things that, anytime you fail in that particular platform, you just look at stuff that can make you better.&rdquo;
Bucks: Wesley Matthews didn&rsquo;t play due to a sore left hamstring. Matthews had hurt the hamstring Friday at Chicago. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re thinking and hoping it&rsquo;s day to day,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game. ... Serge Ibaka had his highest point and rebound totals since the Bucks acquired him Feb. 10. This was his ninth game with the Bucks.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Orlando on Tuesday night in the second of three straight road games. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-magic-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-chuma-okeke-4c2e192e2099bccf7d4127dd8d9a4cf6">The Suns beat the Magic 132-105</a> at home on Feb. 12.
Bucks: At Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-jrue-holiday-milwaukee-khris-middleton-381b172d47c3d90463191fedd383dc82">The Bucks defeated the Thunder 96-89</a> in Milwaukee on Nov. 19.

Khris Middleton scored a season-high 44 points, Jrue Holiday had 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Bucks rallied to win.

Khris Middleton scores 44 points, Bucks rally to beat Suns

During the Phoenix Suns&rsquo; final game before the All-Star break, Chris Paul suffered a fractured thumb avulsion. Paul will now be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks, bringing Paul&rsquo;s probable return right before the postseason begins.
Luckily for Phoenix, it is six-and-a-half games ahead of the Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference&rsquo;s No. 1 seed, and it would take a noticeable slip for the Suns to be caught by anyone in the West. This will be a serious test for the Suns though, because Paul has actually avoided serious injuries on the court throughout his tenure thus far in Phoenix. Paul has only missed four games with the Suns, but this will now be a real evaluation period that could potentially help them in the long run.
Both Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet are expected to be back from ankle injuries after the All-Star break. Also, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/aaron-holiday-is-fitting-right-into-the-suns-vision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new acquisition of Aaron Holiday</a> now brings a sigh of relief for Phoenix's overall depth. Holiday&rsquo;s tenacious defense and adequate floor-spacing ability have already made him an upgrade over Elfrid Payton as the Suns&rsquo; emergency third-string point guard.
Paul&rsquo;s extended absence will cause major ripple effects on their offense though. With Paul on the floor, Phoenix is scoring 115.9 points per 100 possessions &mdash; 11 points better than when Paul sits for the Suns. (By the way, that&rsquo;s tied for the best mark in the Association with the Utah Jazz for Offensive Rating.) In the small sample of minutes Paul has been off the court, this season more so occurring in blowout victories, the Suns&rsquo; ORTG dips to 105.4.
Since the Suns&rsquo; explosion, we&rsquo;ve yet to really see Devin Booker run the show as much for obvious reasons. Booker playing extensively off the ball alongside Paul has helped conserve his energy for career-best defensive moments and being an assassin in the scoring department. Before Paul arrived, though, Booker had very important moments of growth as a facilitator in the Suns&rsquo; down years.
From 2018-2019, Booker operated with no starting-caliber point guard after Eric Bledsoe seemingly quit on the team via Twitter and was subsequently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Operating in the backcourt next to names like Payton, Isaiah Canaan, Mike James and Elie Okobo for an extensive period of time forced Booker into being the entire offensive operation.
Everything flowed through Booker every single possession, a baptism by fire so to say, but the Suns&rsquo; young shooting guard continued to blossom into a multi-faceted weapon. Booker&rsquo;s playmaking allowed for Paul to have a steady running mate, and now with the latter sidelined for potentially the rest of the regular season, this could open back up that box even further.
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Will Suns head coach Monty Williams stick to the plan and allow more minutes for Payne and Holiday alongside Booker? This seems like the best bet, but what about experimenting with Booker and seeing how it goes? Lineup combinations featuring Booker flanked by wings is a fun small-ball idea (Booker, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, Torrey Craig). And Booker&rsquo;s capabilities running the pick-and-roll will lead to pick-your-poison scenarios with either Deandre Ayton or JaVale McGee. Compared to Paul, the drop-off to Booker isn&rsquo;t as steep as many think in pick-and-roll efficiency (Paul: 0.99 PPP, Booker: 0.94 PPP).
Where Paul&rsquo;s absence will be felt the most is in the moments where it matters most. Phoenix is on pace to be the best team in NBA history for clutch-time dominance. Paul&rsquo;s stabilizing presence and precision running the show allow for Phoenix to stay afloat when most teams sink. Booker has been potent in the clutch as well, but how will it fare with one head of the two-headed monster gone for a little bit? Again, this is a potential growth moment for Booker and Phoenix. If the Suns experience little to no drop-off without Paul, Booker&rsquo;s dark-horse MVP case will continue to rise.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
All baskets by Devin Booker in Clutch Time this season. (Under 5 minutes left in the game, score within 5). <a href="https://t.co/060DOBftHy">pic.twitter.com/060DOBftHy</a>
&mdash; RB (@RyB_311) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyB_311/status/1495432852523175936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After the All-Star break presumably through the end of the regular season, here&rsquo;s how the Suns&rsquo; rotation will look.
Starting Lineup: Cameron Payne, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton
Second Unit: Aaron Holiday, Landry Shamet, Cameron Johnson, Torrey Craig, JaVale McGee
Losing Paul is a huge blow in the short-term, but that 10-man unit alone is still a formidable one. The Suns&rsquo; trio around Booker &mdash; Ayton, Bridges, Johnson &mdash; should take pressure off the team's 25-year-old star, but show potential moments of growth as well. Ayton will immediately show whether or not he&rsquo;s worthy of the rookie-scale max this offseason without Paul setting him up. Bridges and Johnson are ascending into potent scoring threats, but how will Paul sitting on the sidelines impact their overall efficiency?
Luckily for the Suns, their distance from everyone else atop the West could keep them locked into the No. 1 seed. If anything, this time without their leader allows for those relied upon most long-term &mdash; even past the Paul era &mdash; to deliver when the situations calls for it.
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With Chris Paul out for the next two months, the NBA's best team could actually benefit long-term from his absence before the playoffs.

Chris Paul's absence could actually benefit Suns long-term

The Phoenix Suns expect both Cam Payne and Landry Shamet to return following All-Star break, according to John Gambadoro.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Suns expect Cam Payne and Landry Shamet both back for their first game after the break against OKC next Thursday.
&mdash; John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gambo987/status/1494404068441133081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As of the All-Star break, the Suns boast the NBA's best record. They have won 9 of their last 10 games despite missing Payne for the past 12 games and Shamet for the past nine. Payne and Shamet are both key rotation players for the Suns, averaging 26 and 20 minuters per game, respectively.&nbsp;
Payne is working his way back from a wrist injury, while Shamet is recovering from an ankle injury.

The Phoenix Suns expect both Cam Payne and Landry Shamet to return for the team's first game back after the All-Star break.

Report: Suns expect Cam Payne and Landry Shamet back after All-Star break

Trying to capitalize on a golden opportunity to make a repeat NBA Finals run, the Phoenix Suns made two moves at last week's NBA trade deadline.
First, Phoenix dealt 2020 No. 10 overall pick Jalen Smith and a 2022 second-round pick to the Indiana Pacers for Torrey Craig, who was with the team last season and perfectly fit its vision as a versatile two-way wing. Then, less than an hour later, Suns general manager James Jones made another under-the-radar move to bolster the bench.
Phoenix sent cash considerations to the Washington Wizards for reserve combo guard Aaron Holiday, who the organization was actually very interested in throughout the 2018 pre-draft process. If not for the Pacers swooping Holiday in the first round, Phoenix was hoping Holiday would slip through the cracks to the top of the second-round to pair him with Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges.
During his NBA career, Holiday is now on his third team in four seasons. However, Phoenix&rsquo;s team-oriented system could be the best bet to bring out the intriguing upside Holiday displayed at UCLA as a consistent three-point shooter and on-ball defender.
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In three games with the Suns, Holiday is averaging 7.3 points and 2.7 assists on an outstanding 84.6% True Shooting percentage. Of course, small sample size alert, but the mixture of attributes Holiday has brought aboard in Phoenix is a noticeable upgrade on the margins.
&ldquo;He just continues to play the kind of basketball we like to play,&rdquo; Suns head coach Monty Williams said after the Suns&rsquo; 124-121 win over the Rockets on Wednesday. &ldquo;Defensively, he just gets into stuff and he comes up with balls. I thought the inbounds play under the basket where he stole it and laid it up, that&rsquo;s Aaron [Holiday], and I like his willingness to take shots.
"And then, there was one play where it was just a muddied offensive set, and he dribbled all over the place like [Steve] Nash and then just went to the basket and laid it off the glass, and I was like, 'He&rsquo;s got some moxie and some toughness.' He&rsquo;s come here and he&rsquo;s fit right in.&rdquo;
As Williams alluded to, Holiday has stepped right into his role and thrived within the flow of Phoenix&rsquo;s &ldquo;0.5&rdquo; system. Holiday not only has shown a more robust skill set than Elfrid Payton &mdash; whose non-floor-spacing equity continues to be a bugaboo for the Suns&rsquo; reserves &mdash; but his defense in short spurts has also been fantastic when flanked by Craig and JaVale McGee.
It&rsquo;s easy to envision when the postseason arrives that Holiday won&rsquo;t play many meaningful minutes. Once Cameron Payne returns from an ankle injury after the All-Star break, Holiday&rsquo;s already minuscule role will dwindle further.
Looking past Payne, though, could Holiday usurp Landry Shamet as the fourth guard? With Shamet&rsquo;s inconsistent play all season long, especially from a shooting perspective, it&rsquo;s not too far-fetched of a scenario.
Here&rsquo;s how the Suns&rsquo; guard group shakes out entering All-Star weekend:
Starters: Chris Paul, Devin Booker
Reserves: Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Holiday
Stockpiling depth across the board, the Suns now have options behind their dynamic backcourt duo of Paul and Booker. Shamet slides into the backup shooting guard minutes for Booker, but Holiday can also provide a punch there if needed. Paul hurt his hand in the Suns&rsquo; win over the Rockets, so if he&rsquo;s out for any meaningful time and they want to go very conservative with his recovery time, they have three capable players who can split duties in Payne, Payton and Holiday.
Holiday is a ball of energy, which showed itself frequently throughout his first week with Phoenix. Only giving up cash considerations for a 25-year-old reserve guard is another win for Jones, who has a very strong resume to repeat as NBA Executive of the Year with the Suns&rsquo; historically strong start at 48-10.
The Suns know their time to compete for championships is right now, especially with Paul still playing at an MVP-like level during his age-36 season. When canvassing through the Suns&rsquo; rotation, there are very few, if any, real holes to analyze.
Holiday isn&rsquo;t a game-changing move so to say, but his more consistently stable two-way play could be what looms large when shuffling out who fits within the Suns&rsquo; playoff rotation in a few months time. The early returns with Holiday in Phoenix have been outstanding, but now the real interesting tidbits will be monitored relating to how Williams balances the Suns' guard rotation moving forward.
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The Suns made two moves to bolster their depth. Aaron Holiday was one of them, and he's fit right in with Phoenix off the bat.

Aaron Holiday 'fits right in' with Monty Williams and the Suns' vision

With the NBA trade deadline over and done with, the BasketballNews.com staff wants to share our thoughts on the moves that went down. Since Nekias Duncan thoroughly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grading-every-move-from-the-2022-nba-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graded each and every trade from the past week</a>, we wanted the rest of our team to react to the results of the ever-so-eventful week.
Our writers have discussed their <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winners</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-losers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losers</a> of the trade deadline. Now, in our latest Roundtable, we asked our writers the following question:
Which under-the-radar move from the NBA trade deadline is your favorite?
Alex Kennedy:&nbsp;Leading up to the trade deadline, I was really hoping that the Detroit Pistons would acquire Marvin Bagley III from the Sacramento Kings, because he seemed like the perfect buy-low addition for them. Bagley fits with Detroit's young core and this is the kind of low-risk, high-reward trade that I love. Bagley needed a change of scenery, and the Pistons only had to give up Josh Jackson, Trey Lyles and two future second-round picks to take a flier on the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Spencer Davies: It feels like Serge Ibaka to the Milwaukee Bucks could really pan out if the big man finds the footing he had last season prior to that untimely back injury. He&rsquo;s knocking down 38.7% of his triples, so he&rsquo;ll be able to stretch the floor. Defensively, he doesn&rsquo;t have quite the same lift as he did before, but he&rsquo;s a big body to get through on the interior. We should all remember that Ibaka is somehow still only 32 years old. Let&rsquo;s just hope he stays on the floor this time around and gets to play in the postseason. I&rsquo;m also a huge fan of what the Detroit Pistons did to snatch-up Marvin Bagley III. It wasn&rsquo;t that long ago that the young forward was making waves across the prospect world. It seemed he was stuck in purgatory in Sacramento, with no organizational continuity and different head coach after different head coach. Bagley is 22&hellip; Twenty-two. The Pistons acquired a potential long-term fit for free, essentially, next to Cade Cunningham. Treat it like a free draft pick.
Ethan Fuller: While the Celtics were one of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-who-are-your-biggest-2022-nba-trade-deadline-winners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade deadline winners</a>, I do also really like the Derrick White trade from the Spurs' perspective. White was a questionable fit on the timeline of a San Antonio team loaded with young guards. The Spurs received a first-round pick this summer for the rebuild and a first-round swap for 2028, which is always a good gamble. Romeo Langford is another interesting flier for them to take. Add in the first-round pick from Toronto in the Thad Young trade, and San Antonio has seriously started a stockpile of potential young talent without giving up major pieces.
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Moke Hamilton:&nbsp;It&rsquo;s hard to not be thrilled with the Los Angeles Clippers finding a way to walk away from the deadline with Norman Powell and Robert Covington. Assuming Paul George and Kawhi Leonard eventually return to form, they&rsquo;ll have an excellent two-way supporting cast that will have them considered among the NBA's favorites. As far as this season is concerned, I like the Bucks&rsquo; acquisition of Serge Ibaka. Serge is still trying to find himself after undergoing back surgery, but he&rsquo;s been showing signs lately. Bobby Portis has emerged as a starting-caliber center and Serge will give Milwaukee a very similar skill set coming off their bench. At this point, we don&rsquo;t know if Brook Lopez will be able to return to form, so Serge provides insurance in that regard as well.
Bryan Fonseca: Thaddeus Young to the Raptors. It'll be fun to watch him play regularly again, and he fits right into what Toronto does. They'll be even scrappier, somehow, and could win a playoff series against the right team.
Evan Sidery: Phoenix <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-running-it-back-with-torrey-craig-will-loom-large-in-postseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reuniting with Torrey Craig</a> was an underrated move on Thursday. Trading Jalen Smith, an unproven lottery pick who didn't pan out, plus their 2022 second-round pick to Indiana for Craig helps fill an immediate concern. The Suns will rely upon Craig&rsquo;s versatility as they try to go on another deep playoff run. JaVale McGee and Craig will bring havoc in the Suns' second unit, but another dimension is more small-ball possibilities. The Suns' second unit looks incredible on paper: Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Cameron Johnson, Torrey Craig and JaVale McGee. Phoenix can be so multiple now with their lineups &mdash; always a plus for a championship-chasing team.
Mat Issa: I think the Raptors came away like bandits snagging Thad Young for virtually nothing. He&rsquo;s always had a really additive and versatile skill set that has allowed him to morph himself into whatever role the team he plays on needs (energy guy, post scorer, playmaking hub, etc.) In Toronto, he&rsquo;ll provide some much-needed playmaking (he&rsquo;s probably already one of the five best passers on the roster) and add some more size to the mix.
Mark Schindler: I loved the Pistons adding Marvin Bagley III. They've truly lacked a real vertical threat around the rim on offense, and he adds that dynamic alongside Cade Cunnigham. He's made subtle improvements in his game this season &mdash; a change of environment could really be a boon for his further development.
Justin Lewis: Torrey Craig to Phoenix was nice. I was personally hoping that Memphis would snag him. The Suns look like the odds-on favorite to win it all, taking for granted the team's health. Adding Craig and Aaron Holiday to the mix just adds to their roster depth without messing with any of the chemistry.
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Which under-the-radar move from the NBA trade deadline is your favorite? BasketballNews.com's writers shared their thoughts.

NBA Roundtable: Which under-the-radar trade is your favorite?

Milwaukee Bucks (35-21, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (44-10, first in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Thursday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Milwaukee faces the Phoenix Suns after Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points in the Bucks' 131-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns are 22-5 on their home court. Phoenix has a 2-2 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Bucks are 16-12 on the road. Milwaukee has a 1-0 record in one-possession games.
TOP PERFORMERS: Devin Booker is scoring 25.7 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Suns. Chris Paul is averaging 19.4 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games for Phoenix.
Antetokounmpo is scoring 29.2 points per game and averaging 11.3 rebounds for the Bucks. Khris Middleton is averaging 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds over the last 10 games for Milwaukee.
LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 9-1, averaging 115.4 points, 47.3 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 7.4 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.1 points per game.
Bucks: 8-2, averaging 119.2 points, 45.2 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 7.8 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.5 points.
INJURIES: Suns: Abdel Nader: out (knee), Dario Saric: out (knee), Frank Kaminsky: out (knee), Cameron Payne: out (wrist), Landry Shamet: out (ankle).
Bucks: George Hill: out (neck), Grayson Allen: day to day (hip), Brook Lopez: out (back).

Milwaukee faces Phoenix after Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points in the Bucks' 131-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.