The wait continues for the Phoenix Suns to take any type of serous tumble. While a six-game road trip beginning with two losses did not bode well, it was answered on Saturday with a strong 106-99 victory over the New York Knicks.
Devin Booker returned from a one-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, an ankle that was clearly bothering him still in the second half, giving him fits whenever he planted off it to rise for a shot attempt. It’s just a matter of pain tolerance at this point and how much he wants to keep playing through over the next handful of games. Given it was Booker’s only chance to play the Knicks on the road, it was not surprising to see him back so soon.
Booker has always been fond of Madison Square Garden and the historical significance within one of the cathedrals of basketball, which shows in his consistent high-level play there. Across nine contests in MSG coming into Saturday, Booker was shooting 50.5%, producing at least 26 points with a FG% at 47% or better in eight of those games.
While it wasn’t the sensational Booker we are used to seeing in New York, he was still very effective with 27 points (7-of-18), four rebounds, four assists and four turnovers in 38 minutes. The eye test said those four assists didn’t come close to representing the splendid job he did keeping the offense in gear.
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Booker was good enough through that bum ankle to lead a team effort filled with plenty of individual contributions that were still very much required even though New York was without Jalen Brunson (right ankle sprain) and Josh Hart (right ankle soreness). The Knicks before the loss were one of four teams in basketball with less than five losses at home, and they are now 16-5 at the garden.
It was a game of runs.
After a 19-point Suns first quarter had them down eight, they went on a 17-2 run in the second quarter to lead by five. A one-point difference at halftime was followed by two large spurts for each team in the third quarter. It was a 16-0 Knicks surge in the middle of it before it ended with a 13-0 Suns run to be up three entering the fourth quarter.
If there would be one more pocket of the game like that, that would be the decider, and it was an 8-0 tilt in favor of the Suns midway through the fourth quarter to go up eight. From there, neither team had enough left in the tank to execute offensively after a physical battle of two groups that continue to match up perfectly for each other.
This was the Mark Williams the Suns need every night, like they got for the first six weeks of the season. Williams’ box score might be in the same range of unassuming as his handful of uninspiring performances lately, but he made a dozen or so impactful plays in a great two-way outing. Williams ended up with 14 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes.
Jordan Goodwin was a fulcrum of multiple Phoenix runs, following up on his game of the season Thursday with another terrific outing on Saturday. He finished with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Grayson Allen added 13 points off the bench too, leading to a 39-14 Suns edge in bench points.
Turnovers were 17-12 Knicks for a 19-10 Suns finish in points off turnovers, while second-chance points were split 21-17 Suns, a victory given the size mismatch.
New York had three players with 20-plus points: Karl-Anthony Towns (23), Deuce McBride (23) and OG Anunoby (21).
Suns head coach Jordan Ott told reporters pregame that Jalen Green participated in 5-on-5 on Saturday morning, the third time he’s gotten some full run. Green has to have the finish line of his recovery from a right hamstring strain in sight, which would peg him for a return either on Monday in Brooklyn or Tuesday in Philadelphia.
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