Phoenix Suns Summer League Game 4 Recap
In the first game of the tournament stage at the 2015 Las Vegas Summer League, the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns overcame an early shooting barrage from the Milwaukee Bucks to win their opening game of bracket play, 106-80.
The Suns used a 20-2 run in the third quarter to turn what was once a 10-point deficit into a 15-point lead with T.J. Warren, Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and rookie Devin Booker doing the majority of the grunt work. Booker knocked down back-to-back threes during that stretch, Len hit a couple of shots inside and Warren and Goodwin were relentless attacking the basket and getting to the foul line.
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Phoenix outscored the Bucks 30-14 in the third quarter to take a commanding 14-point lead heading into the final period. The Suns outscored Milwaukee 56-28 overall in the second half.
With this opening victory in bracket play, the Suns will now play the winner of the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, who play tonight at 10 PM EST. Phoenix’s next game will take place on Jul. 18.
Here’s a look at the top performers and highlights from the Suns’ fourth Summer League game.
T.J. Warren — Warren continued his knack for putting the ball in the hole while mostly flying under the radar. His quiet nine first half points led the Suns at the break, but he came to life in the third quarter, piling another eight points on as Phoenix took control of the game.
Warren led Phoenix in scoring with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting while also chipping in four assists, three rebounds and three blocks. If his strong Summer League play is any indication, Tony Buckets could be in store for a breakout season this year.
.@TonyWarrenJr had 8 points in the 3rd quarter and your #SummerSuns have taken the 80-66 lead over the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/Z9vqB3yrJQ
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 16, 2015
Archie Goodwin — Goodwin did a little bit of everything in the Suns’ fourth Summer League game, but during Phoenix’s pivotal third quarter run, he sustained momentum by relentlessly attacking the basket with a James Harden-like fervor, getting to the foul line and earning points the easy way.
Goodwin scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half and despite shooting 6-of-15 from the field, he made up for it by getting to the foul line six times. He made all six of those attempts and also added in six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Just sit back and watch @A1Laflare10 throw it down over, and over, and over…. #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/YxYJlNLD9B
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 16, 2015
Alex Len — Len came out strong in the first quarter, tallying eight points, four rebounds and three blocks before virtually disappearing in the second period. However, Len came out strong again in the third quarter, helping the Suns close out defensive stops with rebounds, challenging shots and knocking down face-up jumpers on the other end.
Len finished the game with 12 points (4-of-7 shooting), nine rebounds and four blocks in 23 minutes.
Devin Booker — As a part of that game-changing third quarter run, Booker knocked down back-to-back threes to extend the Suns’ lead and keep momentum on Phoenix’s side.
He continued to look confident, much like he was in the Suns’ third Summer League game, but he was also much more efficient with his shooting stroke against Milwaukee, finishing at 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range. Booker exited late in the fourth quarter with 19 points and three rebounds.
SHAZAM! @DevinBook for THREE!! #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/0ruI1T9qL4
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 16, 2015
Mike James — Mike James is slightly undersized and at times, he makes some bad decisions. But for the most part, he’s played with poise since being moved into the starting lineup, and he got the Suns’ scoring started off on a great note with a monster dunk that most people didn’t know he was even capable of.
James wound up with nine points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 25 minutes of action.
Josh Harrellson — Harrellson followed up his impressive near-double-double in his last Summer League game with another strong performance, tallying 13 points and six rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.
“Jorts” started things off right, knocking down his first two shots for five quick points off the bench to keep the Suns within striking distance early on. But he also didn’t miss a single shot the rest of the way, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and 3-for-3 from three-point range.
Next: Expect A Breakout Season From T.J. Warren In 2015-16