Phoenix Suns Big 3 Looks As Good As Ever In Road Win Over Cavaliers

Phoenix Suns Big 3 Looks As Good As Ever In Road Win Over Cavaliers

On today’s episode of lockon Phoenix Suns why Devon Booker’s return as the Suns kick off a 4 game road trip with a win in Cleveland went about as well as the Suns could possibly ask for you are locked on suns your daily Phoenix Suns podcast part of the locked on podcast

Network your team every Day And we’re back this is locked on Phoenix Suns we are part of the locked on podcast Network and I’m your host Brendan clean a credential media member covering the Suns for the past seven seasons a writer at suns.com and the host of the just basketball show wherever you get your podcast you can

Also get my thoughts on the Suns by joining the locked on suns Insider community if you’re finding this show for the first time you can hit follow or subscribe get a new episode in your feed every single Monday through Friday we’re free and available everywhere including YouTube so just hit that

Button become an every dayer and get locked on to the Phoenix Suns all season long Today’s Show brought to you by Nissan are you the kind of driver that likes to push things a little further have you ever wondered what Adventure could be around the next Corner we’ll

Take the Nissan Rogue Nissan Pathfinder or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure check them all out today at nissanusa.com 117 to 111 the final score Phoenix Suns get a victory move to 38-27 and our moment of the game is going to be the third quarter because that was

The most dominant stretch the Suns had they get out to a little bit of a weak start defensively in particular against stus Garland and Cleveland gets out to a lead surprisingly without Donovan Mitchell without Evan Moy without Max stru Dean Wade who was the star of their comeback

Win against Boston last week all out and yet the Cavs still pull away early Suns battle back in the second quarter but the third quarter is where we focus in because it was just a perfect example of what the Suns can do on both ends of the

Court when they really put their heads down and execute when they get a little desperate when they’re tested a little bit which is what they were in that first half obviously it’s always games like this are always tough tough to parse right because it’s like you can get frustrated

That it was even close in the first place you can be bothered by some of the inconsistencies but there is something to be said for the fact of responding and not just effort and energy and we talk about responding as this like it always has to be like a

Disney movie no I think in this case on the court stuff was just executed at a higher level in order to get the win I would say the two main things one on each side of the ball effort and execution guarding Darius Garland and on the offensive end

Pace you don’t want to oversimplify things but sometimes it is just that simple defensively I thought that their communication on coverage when Garland did get a screen was much better are we switching this are we sending two Defenders toward Garland are we helping off of a shooter

Early to take away a driving lane Suns had some good rotations where they were loading up help when Garland did get downhill on a drive so times when he got toward the basket maybe beat their pick and roll coverage even with the extra effort against him

They did not collapse or lose focus late into a possession they had a he turned it over on one play on an interior pass where he was trying to kind of loop it back with a drop pass to I believe Allen under the basket that was where Beal had a

Pi six so to speak and overall it was just an example of hey we know the Suns do not have the type of stopper especially with Josh aogi out of the lineup that they’re going to that they would ideally like to have let’s say right but I would say

Similar to moments against Jamal Murray last week the suns were able to do just enough enough make an opposing score just uncomfortable enough to quiet them down and allow their offense to spread its wings and that brings us to the other side of the ball it might sound very very basic and

Maybe it is but good things happen when the Suns just play quicker obviously moments like that turnover on the Garland under the basket pass are easy Pace pushing opportunities but in general you can really just feel when this team has it going when this team is playing loose and comfortable

And confidently I would say the Lakers game on the first Sunday after the All-Star break was a perfect example of what I’m talking about where it ju it just feels different it feels like a team honestly to me when this team is playing quick and with energy and and wall to–all

Effort that’s when they feel like they can win a championship you know not to go with 30,000 foot view out of this Cavs game but but I’m just that’s that’s it to me and so they end up in that second quarter only missing five shots out of uh 20

Something 19 maybe maybe they were 14 of 19 and I want to say they had the fewest turnovers that’s just okay no they they had two two turnovers in the second quarter three three turnovers in the second quarter so not bad and you look up and at the end

Of well that’s why am I saying second quarter confusing myself here third quarter is what we’re talking about my point was going to be that they took more shots and then I got myself off track clicking the wrong button 22 shot attempts in the third quarter believe that was the most of any

Period and you look up and it goes from a deficit at halftime of seven points to suddenly a six-point lead going into the fourth quarter that they held on to maybe it wasn’t pretty but they did hold on to it and it was just possession by possession right it was not exactly so

The Suns had uh three turnovers I believe in the third quarter as well so three in the second three in the third and then eight combined in the first and fourth that tracks again possession by possession fourth quarter gets a little weird again we’re not going to focus on

That today because they came out with the win but that’s what good teams do to to to depleted squads on the road you go in you stick your you keep your head up you stick with it put out fires play your game as much as you can let your best guys take over

That’s what the Suns did so on that note I thought this was the best game that I can remember from this big three in terms of balance they picked up right where they left off in book’s first game back and you have to feel great that that they are continuing to develop

Layers and levels to their partnership heading into the stretch run of the Season we’ll break down how it all looked coming up next first Today’s Show brought to you by better help sometimes we all need the opportunity to get something off our chest big or small certain things can

Really start to get to you it’s important to let them out especially to someone who’s unbiased about your life so today I’m going to get honest with you about something and you might even be thinking about the same thing this week just in the name of honesty here folks I miss Joshua

Kogi he makes you want to pull your hair out it’s not fun to live and die by every three-pointer that he takes every crazy drive to the basket and wild pass but he is vital to this team and I’m giving into it and I’m starting to miss him authenticity folks genuine

Honesty therapy can be different for everyone most of us have bigger problems than Josh aogi or or our favorite sports team and it’s important to get those things especially off your chest every once in a while so if you’re thinking of starting therapy give better help a try

Entirely online flexible and suited to your schedule visit betterhelp.com lockon NBA to get 10% off your first month of betterhelp that’s betterhelp hp.com locked on NBA all right let’s break down the big three again you don’t even need me to tell you because the box score kind of tells you

All you need to know on a night like this but this to me was one of the better games I can remember of the balance and flow between Kevin Durant Bradley Beal and Devon Booker postgame KD called it spontaneous basketball and I love that name for

It it really felt like tonight was a game where the Suns hit the vibe or the feel on offense that they’ve been striving for all season long they they met their Mark they hit their Mark I think is the right phrase uh 88 points 17 assists just six

Turnovers by the way I’m going to be breaking down this flow this balance and how it looked in that third quarter in a watchback of this game on Tuesday maybe even have it out Monday night we’ll see so if you want me talking through video which a lot of you ask for

During these podcast episodes which I unfortunately cannot give to you because my channel would not be monetized if I was putting NBA footage on this channel not allowed to do that but if you want more of that type of content sign up for the locked on suns insiders you will not be

Disappointed you can sign up at the link in the show description below or go to join sub text.com loock ons Suns again click that link below that’s the easiest way to sign up you have to confirm your sign up also folks so if you want to support the show you want bonus content

You want my thoughts on game day my thoughts about Suns news as we get toward the offseason all of it all through the playoffs and Beyond right there but I will give you as granular as I can on the episode of course as well so 88 points 17 assists just six

Turnovers and they shot 35 of 67 from the field better than 50% but beyond all of that in addition to the PACE stuff that I just talked about in that third quarter and otherwise I thought the flow between all of the actions and the touches and who was

Initiating versus who was spacing out versus who was screening the communication to get quickly into those sets without me uh without dilly-dallying let’s say right to use a very you know mother mom Grandma phrase I thought it was all very very good tonight to return to that phrase of spontaneous

Basketball I couldn’t describe it better myself salute to you Kae you are not really a podcast host anymore but maybe you should be because spontaneous is exactly the way to describe it because it highlights the randomness which is valuable right it’s I don’t I I think the Suns would be

Worse off if they really truly tried to make Beal or Booker a straightup point guard like in the traditional Chris Paul whoever Luca donic even concept of that word where they’re commandeering every single possession I think they would be worse I think playing this way is to the sun’s benefit

Because of that Randomness it’s it it’s good that when the Suns bring the ball up to court a you don’t even know who’s going to bring it up Court B the defense doesn’t know what’s coming even if one guy has the ball is that going to be that player running a pick

And roll is it going to be that player entering it to Durant or nurkic in the post is it going to be them running they’re finally running actual sets more consistently Durant off of a elbow pin down Spain pick and roll where either Beal or Booker can handle and either

Beal or Booker or Allen can set that back screen and then pop up to the top of the key I mean we’ve been seeing those sets under Monty for years where Cam or book would often be setting the screen Chris would handle Aon would screen in this offense with this Talent

There’s even more varieties of what that can look like and they’re getting into that stuff so it’s all great but again what I think we saw tonight beyond the production be beyond the efficiency beyond the pace even was the decisiveness and I think that’s what Duran is speaking to when he calls it

Spontaneous as well because spontaneous is a very different word than random it’s a very different word than unpredictable spontaneous indicates a level I I know it’s just a word guys but I think it’s perfect and I think it really drives home the point here it indicates a level of

Purposefulness right like we’ve met people we would describe as spontaneous it might come out of the blue but when there’s a when there’s an idea in their head they’re committing to it let’s go do this let’s go to that let’s try this whatever I’m going to wear this outfit

I’m going to start this Hobby and it’s dead set all of a sudden and that’s what the sons need too they need the randomness but it can’t be random to them you know and I think tonight is again a great examp example of that a lot of the little things that

You would have wanted to see just if you open up a box score when you’re dreaming up what a big three should do happened in this game they all took basically 20 plus shot attempts very important here for this team is too they all took seven or more

Threes and they each had four or more assists the beal initiating stuff certainly translated in this game right away in the first quarter Beal is the one running a lot of the offense then couple times in transition couple times as like a secondary attack it’s Booker with the ball in his hands and

Then after a few minutes they start to feed it to Durant in those usual extended post ISO situations now they did run into a little bit of trouble there but it was different guys running the pick and roll with nurkic it was again different guys running those Spain picking rolls in transition everybody

Was eating I just thought from start to finish especially given this was a pretty close game it wasn’t just a blowout where they were feeling it and and loose as hell this was a challenge and they still managed to cycle through that stuff be purposeful while also

Being random AKA spontaneous and at the end of the game the production is going to be on a freaking ESPN graphic tomorrow with some segment on well let’s save that because I’m going to return to a postgame goto rapid fire segment to close out the show momentarily touching on just that

First we got to talk about Yousef nkit and we’ll do that next first Today’s Show brought to you by Nissan are you the kind of driver that likes to push things a little further have you ever wondered what Adventure could be around the next corner while

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Closing out the show starting with the nerk report which we have to do I just decided to hit record while I looked for some clarity on what went down with Yousef nurkic I am sorry to uh let you know that I still do not know the answer to that

Question um Dwayne Rankin who is usually our trusty guy and I believe he will have some updates um as we move through Monday night here I was hoping the 20 minutes it would take me to get to the nerk report would give them time but it seems like Frank Fogle is not really

Talking uh quickly today regardless he got benched at the end of the game as I’m sure you know and as I was just alluding to there but I guess bench might be too harsh of a word because I’m not exactly positive what happened people have pointed out that Yousef nkit as a Muslim

Man does observe Ramadan and that could be maybe relating to some fatigue tonight maybe some you know digestion digestive issues I don’t know totally would be understandable I would just the reason I’m not going to just say that that’s for sure what it is is one that’s

Just an assumption but two this is not his first go round with this so I guess I would just hope he’s okay if that’s the case cuz he’s handled it in the past okay and hopefully nothing severe happened but beyond that this was a very strange nerkish game I’m saying this

With all the respect in the world to him honoring his religious Traditions I this is not intended to be making fun because frankly a lot of what we saw tonight is stuff that happens from nurkic every game the roller coaster ride that is the nerk experience AKA in our case the nerk

Report where I walk you through it okay first of all look no further than one of six from the free throw line what’s going on I don’t know no clue zero assists I couldn’t tell you I mean I could look it up the last time if at all

This season that Yousef nkuch has had zero assists in a game that he has played real minutes in let us look he has two games this year with zero assists both of which he left early with injuries or other stuff or had foul trouble three sorry okay so

The Portland game on November 21st is the only game this year where he played more than 20 minutes and and had zero assists so add this one to that group and uh chalk it up to bizarre circumstances on the positive note and a a more real legitimate explanation for the

Assist stuff at the very least is he was just running straight up pick and roll a lot in this game and just getting opportunities to finish at the basket that’s why he got to the line as much as he did the sun’s offense was just kind of clicking with without having to really

Cycle in those particular sets without having to really do the give it to nkit on the short roll he kicks it they pass it around the arc and whatever it was really kind of just more simple actions than that were working so he didn’t have to and they weren’t running a lot

Through him directly as a passer in the post there were a couple possessions where they entered it to nurkic and it became a three off of kind of a draw help kick it out Etc type of situation but on top of all of that I thought this

Was a pretty strong defensive game from him a lot of the damage that Garland did in my opinion or I mean really not my opinion the stats show it was from Deep on pullup threes and whatnot and I don’t blame nurkic on that so much so he had a

Lot of strong Rim protection moments I felt like his activity was solid he had a couple of blocks uh one block couple of nice Rim protection moments in terms of you know big kind of clean up the mess type of plays and yet he’s not out

There at the end of the game and Drew Drew EU Banks is who obviously is a roller coaster in his own right so I don’t fully get it but there you have it uh still no updates from Mr Rankin so far as I can tell no uh on on the nurkic situation um

So we shall see last but not least uh let’s just talk quickly at box score Oddity perimeter defense was an issue the Cavs got up 46 threes it’s not every day that Nang and Merill are going to combine to go one of 11 that is very much a Yukata team on

The second night of a back-to-back type of luck that the suns were able to to click into here uh if if those guys shoot their normal level I’m not sure if the Suns win this game if I’m being honest with Garland I mean even even in the second half despite

My celebration of the sun’s execution on defense and kind of focus and buckling down Garland still got a lot of opportunities and it’s not like he fell off a cliff he had I want to say like 15 20 points in the first half finishes

With 30 uh I think he had maybe 21 in the first half nine in the second half so okay like that’s that’s still pretty solid the other guys missing shots was what saved them so you know could have seen it coming I mean I said that to the locked on suns insiders

Who I sent out a preview message to this morning I said perimeter defense is A1 on the onea on the game plan you got to watch out for Garland and lever off the bounce and you got to watch for Merill and Nang as catch and shoot guys that

All came true they just happened to to miss some all right now for last but not least in in reality here Phoenix Suns pretake I I don’t know I’m trying to cook up the first take bottom third graphic or the get up bottom third graphic or the first things first

Whatever I’m not sure exactly what the question will be I’m not sure what the debate what the topic will be that everybody will get to bicker about on on the on the TV show but maybe best Trio in the league something like that are the Suns unbeatable when the big three play this

Well something like that and I mean yes this game was close but again as I said when they are playing that type of fast-paced spontaneous to again use that buzzword type of basketball that is when to me they do feel the most unbeatable so yes Mr ESPN or Fox Sports One

Producer if I’m if I’m on that panel I’m saying yeah they’re damn near unbeatable when they play like this and again it’s not just the production it is the cycling through it is the fact that everybody got in on the fun and it was done in an efficient way with a healthy

Shot diet of all three levels on the court and obviously a win so be prepared especially if the Suns can do a version of this on Thursday yeah you’re probably going to want to tune in and you know get the antidote if you ever feel like the Suns

Get hated on by national TV I know people like to think Doris Burke and Reggie Miller hate the Suns and whatever be watching this week if this stuff continues because this is what this team was all about I mean think back to last June make the be trade this

Type of game is exactly what you were hoping to see and you did it you saw it tonight if you tuned in if you didn’t well you just got 30 minutes of me talking about it you can also get me breaking it down especially in specific that third quarter in a Phoenix Suns

Watchback exclusive to locked on suns insiders sign up at join subtext docomo ons Suns or more easy scroll down whether you’re on audio or YouTube click the link it is in the show description every single day even when I don’t say it click there and you

Have to follow through you have to sign up then you have to confirm your sign up and then you will start receiving messages get that content support the show get my thoughts on the Suns every day be in the know about the Suns all the time over there I’ll have another

Show for you on Wednesday getting you ready for the rest of this road trip I’ll have Aaron Edwards on Thursday and I will have a recap of suns Celtics on Friday so it should be a good week of content across everywhere you can find me I’ll catch you guys again tomorrow

Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal combined for 88 points and played brilliant “spontaneous” basketball en route to a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to kick off their road trip.

Brendon Kleen of @justbasketballfans breaks down the W, including how the team buckled down on both ends to open the second half, the incredibly ceiling the Big 3 hit, and a unique game from Jusuf Nurkic.

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