Phoenix Suns: 3 Things Responsible for Nine Game Win Streak

The Phoenix Suns have locked down defensively around the perimeter

With 3-pointer’s popularity today, the teams that mount strong defenses along the arc typically achieve the most success. To start the season, the Suns struggled to do exactly that, largely contributing to their unattractive record.

Through their first four contests, the Suns allowed their opponents to shoot 42.2 percent from outside, the highest in the entire league. In fact, it was a 3-pointer that sunk the Suns during their aforementioned game vs Kings, which Harrison Barnes splashed through the net at the buzzer.

Thankfully, the Suns patched up this flaw immediately after that loss, making for a dramatic flip on the stat sheet. During this streak, the Phoenix allowed their opponents to shoot just 30.5 percent from deep, the second lowest in that time.

Phoenix’s signature performance in doing this came against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Entering that game, the Blazers were shooting 35.8 percent from deep—a top ten mark. But the Suns blanketed their marksmen en route to a victory, holding them to just 23.3 percent from outside.

Phoenix also showed no signs of slowing down their perimeter defense during their past three contests. Although the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves lack the same 3-point shooting prowess as the Blazers, the Suns still held them all to under 30.0 percent—an impressive accomplishment nonetheless.