Markieff Morris: 2014-15 Phoenix Suns Player Grades
Highlights:
Everyone remembers the buzzer beaters that killed the Suns’ season, but what about the shots that came before to give Phoenix the lead in the first place?
In that overtime loss against the Los Angeles Clippers that ended with a Blake Griffin step-back three, Keef knocked down a shot to pull the Suns within one with 48 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, he hit a three to give the Suns a four-point lead with 43 seconds remaining (1:52 mark of the video below). It’s really not his fault that game improbably slipped away.
In that buzzer beater loss to the Milwaukee Bucks a week later, Morris had 25 points and knocked down a clutch midrange jumper to give the Suns a one-point lead with three seconds remaining. He just had the misfortune of watching it be washed away by Khris Middleton‘s ugly game-winner.
Or how about the James Harden game-winner that handed the Suns a home loss against the Houston Rockets? With 16 seconds left and Phoenix trailing by three, Keef was able to tie the game with a huge three-point play (2:40 mark below)…only to watch the Beard make it irrelevant once again.
But wait, we’re STILL not done! In that buzzer-beating loss to DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings, guess who made the Suns’ last bucket of the game to put Phoenix up by two with 1:21 to play? That’s right, Clutch Keef himself.
So for those of you keeping track, Markieff Morris scored a go-ahead or game-tying bucket in all FOUR of Phoenix’s losses that came at the buzzer this season. Had those shots rimmed out, we’d probably remember Keef for the crunch-time offensive hero that he really is.
What’s funny is that none of those games were even his best performances. On Nov. 17, Keef put up 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals in a win over the Boston Celtics.
His best game of the season was probably Phoenix’s home win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that epic contest, it turned into a one-on-one battle between Keef and LeBron…and Keef won. Morris finished with a career-high 35 points on 15-of-21 shooting, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter. At one point, he scored nine straight points for the Suns.
Everyone remembers the Suns’ win in overtime over the Thunder on Feb. 26 because of that epic Eric Bledsoe-Russell Westbrook showdown, but if it weren’t for Keef’s 29 points and 11 boards, the Suns wouldn’t have even been in that game. For example, Keef had another clutch moment with a three-point play with 20 seconds left in regulation to put Phoenix up three.
As far as individual plays are concerned that don’t fit out clutch category we’ve already been covered so thoroughly, Markieff Morris welcomed Josh Smith to Phoenix by putting him on a classic poster:
And for the sake of not leaving anything out, we really can’t forget about this ridiculous trick shot that had no business of going in:
Next: Final Grade