The Phoenix Suns finally faced some stiffer competition in the 2015 NBA Summer League, but were able to ride Devin Booker‘s hot hand to once again overcome an early deficit and advance to the championship game in Las Vegas. With a 93-87 win over the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday, the Suns moved to 5-1 in Summer League play and handed the Pellies their first loss.
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With Alex Len missing the game due to scheduled rest (Phoenix doesn’t want him playing in Summer League back-to-backs), Josh Harrellson moved into the starting lineup for the Summer Suns. Without a rim deterrent, Seth Curry and the Pelicans’ other penetrators carved up Phoenix’s defense early on, building quick a double-digit advantage.
So basically, the Suns were right on schedule to snap out of their early funk and build a lead with a quick scoring barrage.
After trailing by 11 at the end of the first quarter, the Suns had built a three-point lead heading into halftime as Phoenix found its rhythm from three-point range. A quick 10-2 run midway through the third quarter, mostly from Booker, helped the Suns blow the game open to an 11-point lead.
But the Suns lost focus somewhere in the middle of Devin Booker’s third quarter scoring frenzy, and behind Bryce Dejean-Jones’ 13 third quarter points, the Pelicans trimmed Phoenix’s advantage all the way down, using a 16-2 run to close the period to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
But a rapid-fire 8-1 run to start the final period helped Phoenix reclaim a comfortable lead, which they were able to sustain the rest of the way. The Suns will face the San Antonio Spurs in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game Monday night.
Here’s a look at the top performers and highlights from the Suns’ sixth Summer League game.
T.J. Warren — Like his last Summer League game, T.J. Warren got off to another slow start. He started the game 0-for-3 from the floor and didn’t score in the first quarter as Phoenix fell behind 26-15 heading into the second. Warren sat on the bench until about the four-minute mark of the second quarter, working on his leg on the sidelines.
But he returned to the game and looked okay after that, even if he finished the game with a meager two points on 1-of-5 shooting. Luckily, Devin Booker and the rest of the Suns’ guards were ready to step up with Warren struggling (and not even on the floor at the end of the game)..
Archie Goodwin — Goodwin hasn’t dominated Summer League like you’d hope to see from a third-year player, but his shooting stroke looks so much better than it ever has. He made a couple of great plays early on, finding Josh Harrellson for an easy layup after drawing the defense in, swishing a three that was Devin Booker-pure and throwing down an alley-oop in transition.
Goodwin had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists and went 5-for-9 from the floor.
Devin Booker — Booker also got off to a slow start, missing his first four shots in the first quarter. But he came out with a quick scoring barrage to start the second quarter, putting up seven points in the first two and a half minutes of the period. He tied Harrellson and Goodwin with nine first half points.
In the third quarter, the Suns rookie unleashed another quick scoring onslaught, knocking down three triples and a runner in the lane in the first five minutes of the second half to help Phoenix build an 11-point advantage. Booker went 5-for-6 from the floor in the period and his 15 third quarter points singlehandedly helped the Suns build their lead.
Booker finished the game with a game-high 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting after starting the game 2-for-8. He knocked down five of his nine three-point attempts, his 31 points tied Warren’s Summer League record and he also pulled down nine rebounds.
Book it! @DevinBook is sizzling now on @NBATV! 23pts (5 threes) for @Suns & we're still in the 3rdQ. #NBASummer semis http://t.co/PU9PAPq192
— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) July 20, 2015
Mike James — James continued to make his case for a training camp invite, showcasing his eye-popping hops on a putback dunk and his skills as a facilitator with a nicely placed lob pass to Archie Goodwin for an alley-oop in transition.
James scored eight of the team’s 10 points during one stretch late in the fourth quarter to help the Suns hold on to their lead. He finished the game with 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and four assists, though he only shot 6-for-15 from the field.
Josh Harrellson — After a rough outing against in the Suns’ last game, Harrellson stepped up in a starting role with nine first half points on 4-of-6 shooting. The Pelicans must not have gotten the scouting report, or they were seriously struggling containing the Suns’ penetrators in small-ball lineups, but either way, Harrellson cashed in on the open three-point looks he got.
Jorts only went 3-for-8 from downtown, but he made eight of his 13 shots overall and also hauled in nine boards, teaming up with Booker during that big third quarter run.
Next: Expect A Breakout Season From T.J. Warren In 2015-16