In their second game of tournament play at the 2015 NBA Summer League, the Phoenix Suns were able to use another strong second half to advance to the semifinals with a 91-84 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Once again, the Summer Suns got off to an extremely slow start, trailing by as many as 11 in the first quarter beneath a barrage of Vander Blue buckets. Phoenix, on the other hand, missed a ton of makable shots and went 6-for-23 from the floor in the opening period. But even after those first quarter struggles, the Suns only trailed by seven heading into the second.
Unfortunately, Phoenix’s shooting woes continued into the second quarter, with the Suns not having a single field goal halfway through the period. Despite Vander Blue, Cristiano Felicio and Diante Garrett all being in foul trouble with three personals, the Suns fell behind by as many as 15 because of their sub-30 percent shooting.
But thanks to a 13-2 run to close the half, the Suns cut the lead to just four heading into the break against a Bulls team playing without Doug McDermott (sore foot) and center Cameron Bairstow (ankle injury). After yet another strong third quarter, the Suns actually held a one-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Despite being taken advantage of on the boards and a pretty underwhelming game from Alex Len, the Suns were able to hold on for the win and counter a great game from Bobby Portis — who finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds, and was on the board when the Suns selected at No. 13 in the 2015 NBA Draft — behind an exceptional second half from T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin.
On Sunday, the Suns will play the winner of the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors, who won the Summer League tournament last year.
Here’s a look at the top performers and highlights from the Suns’ fifth Summer League game.
T.J. Warren — Warren got off to a slow start, starting the game 1-for-6 with one turnover as the Suns quickly fell behind by double-digits — and his one field goal was a put-back slam dunk. But he made his next three shots to head into the locker room with eight points and five rebounds in the first half as the Suns quickly trimmed what was once a double-digit deficit.
When it comes to playing off the ball, TJ Warren can see into the future. https://t.co/vLhXV4JsZm
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) July 19, 2015
But, as seems to be the custom for Warren and the Summer Suns, he sprang to life in the third quarter with 12 points in the period to give Phoenix a one-point lead heading into the fourth. Warren continued his offensive onslaught in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with a game-high 31 points on 13-of-23 shooting. He also added six rebounds, one steal and one block (on Portis).
The Suns trailed by as many as 15 in this game early on, but then T.J. Warren woke up and decided he wanted to take over. After his 1-for-6 start, Warren went 12-for-17 from the floor the rest of the way. If he continues to play like this, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes Phoenix’s starting small forward.
Alex Len — Like the rest of the Suns, third-year pro Alex Len got off to a pretty miserable start, racking up three fouls but only four points in his first 11 minutes of action. He quickly picked up his fourth foul just four minutes into the third quarter and went back to the bench.
Len wasn’t playing well as it was, but his foul trouble opened things up for Bobby Portis to dominate the glass for the Bulls. Len fouled out with 48 seconds left, taking a seat with an underwhelming eight points, five rebounds and one block in 18 minutes. He’ll need to be better moving forward.
Archie Goodwin — With the Suns down early, Goodwin was more assertive in the second quarter, attacking the basket as he’s done all Summer League to get to the foul line. He wasn’t able to help the Suns claw back into the game early on, but his 11 first half points led Phoenix at the break and his six trips to the free throw line helped prevent the game from turning into a rout.
Goodwin didn’t steal the show like Warren in the second half either, but he supplemented the scoring with 20 points and six boards, getting to the foul line 11 times.
Devin Booker — Booker was one of the few bright spots for the Summer Suns in the first half, scoring 10 points on an efficient 4-of-8 shooting.
He didn’t again until the final minute of the game, but Booker has proven he’s no longer playing the part of timid rookie with a confident looking jumper and the intelligence to do the little things that will earn him minutes in the future. Booker finished the game with 13 points and three rebounds, and he also knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to make it a two-possesssion game late in the fourth.
Don’t let your significant other see this. They might get jealous of @DevinBook #FallInLove #ThatShot #SummerSuns pic.twitter.com/f5FlIiJTXc
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 19, 2015
Mike James — In his third start for the Summer Suns, Mike James didn’t do much in the first half. But he came out guns blazing in the third quarter, fully swinging the momentum in Phoenix’s favor when he threw down yet another eye-popping dunk in transition that earned him a a three-point play.
His two free throws on the following fast break gave the Suns their first lead. James finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists and two monster slam dunks, and has prompted many to question whether there’s any way he can work his way onto the Suns’ 2015-16 roster.
Next: Could A Summer Suns PG Earn A Training Camp Invite?