Phoenix Suns’ 3 best points include ‘free-throw defense’ and more

As the Phoenix Suns await the chance to reach their first NBA Finals since 1993, a good amount of their fans understandably are anxious about the team, its shooting and 24-year-old star Devin Booker.

While the Phoenix Suns found a way to win Game 4, they’ll need to focus on three primary areas as they pursue the franchise’s first championship.

The Suns have to maintain dedication to their tireless defensive effort, return to their season averages in field-goal success and find a better Booker to complete this surprising run through the playoffs.

What’s going well? Deandre Ayton has been a major presence on offense and defense, continuing to show improvement month over month, rewarding the increasingly hard work he’s been contributing.

Suns coach Monty Williams said the change has served to make the team considerably better.

"It’s not like he was ever a bad worker. But we just felt like he has the kind of ability that, if he puts in the kind of work that I’ve seen guys with this type of ability to put in, he can be a dominant player. “He knows that it takes a lot to be really good in this league. He’s a guy that’s willing to do all the extra stuff. We just want him to be a better version of himself."

There has been analysis and deconstruction of just about every matchup and nuance of this Suns-LA Clippers Western Conference finals series, but there’s always room for a little more.

Phoenix Suns focus No. 3: What about Devin Booker?

Everyone knows it’s the nose. Go ahead, snap your beak in three places and throw on a plastic mask – see if your work performance is on par with the work you did with a healthy honker.

Devin Booker, ever the pro, deflected any blame for his shooting struggles – but did toss the mask aside during Game 4 and played the rest of the night without it.

For the playoffs, Booker is connecting on 45 percent from the field, including 34 percent for 3-point range (and 92 percent from the line). He began the Suns’ run spectacularly, helping lead Phoenix to nine consecutive postseason wins.

His 40-point effort in Game 1 of this series with the Clippers came with solid shooting – 15-for-29 including 3-for-7 from beyond the 3-point line.

But after a convincing amount of early playoff success, Booker has struggled – by his standards, anyway – over the past three games.

Helped in large part by a third-quarter collision with Patrick Beverley’s head, the All-Star’s stats have been as unsightly as a messed-up nose.

Booker’s shooting, overall field goals with 3-point shooting, the past three games of this series:

• Game 2: 5-16, 1-3
• Game 3: 5-21, 1-7
• Game 4: 8-22, 0-5

Booker said he’d probably wear the mask again to start Game 5 on Monday night in Phoenix, but his aggressive drives to the hoop — and the dangers that come with them — play an integral role in his team’s success.

He said as much to reporters following Game 4.

"You don’t realize how much you get hit in the face until after you take it off."

Phoenix Suns focus No. 2: Keeping up the ugly

The Suns lead all playoff teams this postseason in defensive categories such as points allowed and field-goal percentage, succeeding in the effort to carry over a huge historic shift – to defense – from Suns teams of the past.

The Game 4 victory was beautiful for Suns fans, to be sure, but probably punished peripheral viewers who probably professed to be able to shoot better than the Clippers and Suns on Saturday night.

These people could make a representative case after the Suns and Clippers mucked their way to 36 percent and 32 percent shooting, respectively.

The Clippers had more than a few open looks, too, but could never push their way in front.

LA coach Ty Lue expressed the frustration.

"We had a chance to take the lead on 12 possessions and couldn’t do it. It just wouldn’t fall for us."

The teams combined to hit nine 3-point shots.

During the particularly brick-infested fourth quarter, the teams combined to miss 16 consecutive field-goal tries in more than four minutes of play.

One more note on the Suns’ efforts to stop their playoff opponents from scoring: They’ve “held” the Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers to 74.3 percent from the free-throw line.

Before you dismiss it, take a look at the two guys – usually Deandre Ayton and another co-conspirator – on the low blocks when opponents shoot free throws. As most Suns fans probably already know, the two Suns make sudden head-and-shoulder movements just before the free throw is released.

It’s fun to watch. Childish, sure, but they are third-best among the 16 playoff teams in “free-throw defense.”

Phoenix Suns focus No. 1: Confidence in Deandre Ayton and the team

The Suns do not want to return to L.A. for a Game 6 – thanks, Captain Obvious – so a fast start and the continued care and feeding of Ayton are paramount.

A fast start hinges on Chris Paul successfully incorporating his teammates, but also turning on his own offensive ignition switch early. At times in Game 4, he would appear a little indecisive running the trademark high pick and roll play.

The elbow jumper was being challenged a little more closely than during the Nuggets series and Paul was forcing the issue.

Later in Game 4, he finally conceded that perhaps driving all the way to the hoop was the best choice – and he converted an easy layup.

Paul knows what he has in Booker (he said his fellow All-Star was the oldest 24-year-old he’s seen) and, in Ayton, his guidance and encouragement have helped the Suns’ No. 1 overall pick from 2018 rise to big-time prominence.

With 19 points and 22 rebounds in Game 4, Ayton boosted his staggering playoff statistics.

Paul can’t stop complimenting his 22-year-old starting center.

"To see his growth, man, I get goosebumps seriously, man. We done had some heated conversations this season, especially earlier in the season but, man, I genuinely love him. The person that he is and to see everything that’s coming to him, national audience getting to see who he is and why he’s the No. 1 pick, I couldn’t be happier for him."

In his first appearance in the postseason, Ayton is at 16.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and owns a 70.9 field-goal percentage while playing 35.6 minutes per game.

He finished the regular season at 14.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 62.6 percent from the field in 30.7 minutes per game.

Paul’s teammates — many of whom weren’t born in 1993 when Charles Barkley’s Suns reached the title series — couldn’t be happier with Monday’s opportunity to put their floor leader into the Finals for the first time in his career.