Mastodon
@Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker Crushes the Pelicans Again As Phoenix Suns Take Season Series



Devin Booker Crushes the Pelicans Again As Phoenix Suns Take Season Series

Devin Booker finally did it and he owns the New Orleans Pelicans on today’s episode of Locked on suns how Phoenix got a big road win in the Big Easy and much more let’s go you are locked on suns your daily Phoenix Suns podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every

Day we are back this is locked on Phoenix Suns we are part of the locked on podcast Network I’m your host Brendan clean a credential media member covering the Suns for the past seven seasons a writer at Suns stop saying that writer at di magazine those are the just

Basketball show wherever you get your podcast and I also create written and video content over on the locked on suns insiders which you can sign up for at the link in the show description below thank you for making locked on Sons your first listen Monday night post game

After a big Suns win 124 to 111 thank you for finding us wherever you listen to or watch podcast we are free everywhere including YouTube so just hit that follow or subscribe button wherever you’re finding the show maybe it’s your first time maybe you’ve just never done

It before either way that is the best way to support us that’s also the best way to get great content in your feed every single Monday through Friday become an every dayer here with the show and my commitment back to you is you’ll never miss a thing about the Suns get

Locked onto the team all season long right here not just all season long we go through July I won’t do a week where I don’t do an episode every day until like August so that is my commitment really more so than even just the rest of the season because we don’t know how

Long that’s going to go joining us today as he does every single week is Brandon dwas he is right over at Bright Side of the Sun and we have a w to talk about Brandon which is the best kind of show to do today’s episode brought to you by

Game Time download the game time app create an account use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase we’ll talk about them more later on but I will pass the Baton over to you Brandon to get us kicked off what is your moment of the game from this4 to

111 just start to finish handling of the New Orleans Pelicans yeah well well first of all it’s just a lot better to do the the show after a win I feel like I’ve got a little lucky here these last few episodes with uh coming on at the right

Time so I’ll take that for sure uh just a roller coaster of the season but this game I think obviously everyone’s going to point to that first quarter and just Devon Booker exploding but my my moment of the game is actually how they close it out I thought those last two drives

That he had to get his 50th and 52nd uh points to really close out the game to me that was just kind of the the maturity of book being very patient in the second half they weren’t go like running everything through him and I thought there’s a lot more balanced

Attack there in the second half and and he took over again when he needed to so to me putting those final touches on the game that’s just what superstars do and and he showed up and was awesome throughout the night so uh that’s that’s that’s mine I’m sure yours is probably

Gonna be a little different but uh when it happen any other way it’s not from the first quarter either it it is but it is another one from book which is early third quarter when he hits his 73 and then shortly thereafter hits his

83 it just I mean we we can’t we can’t do so much of waiting and not address it so um not only did he get to Seven which we know he’s obviously done in the postseason but he does one better and gets gets all the way to eight and we’ll

Get to it I think a little bit maybe to close out the show I I don’t know have some box score stuff to hit on but I’ll just say it here too I think the fact that he was able to set the tone him and KD

Both early by taking threes it it might not be comfortable it might be old news people might be tired of hearing about it or talking about it or ripping their hair out about it but it matters when this team emphasizes that and for those two guys to get 27 of them up it

Mattered for more than just all of us being able to finally see book do this random thing it was actually I think a big part of why they won yeah for sure and I think they’re gonna have to be able to adapt uh their games especially come playoff times

There’s going to be different defenses there’s going to be different looks they’re going to get so I think uh if those two can establish that early it really does open up and Beal too it really does open up the rest of the offense and and you could just see that

Kind of trickle down to the to the rest of the team and like I said we’ve seen in the past where Booker’s gotten hot and it seemed like they kind of force feed him a little bit and that’s that becomes what the game is and then they

End up blowing a lead and it looked like it could have gone down that path again tonight but then I thought they did a great job of making sure every else got involved and and you know drant had a pretty solid night quietly same with nurkic uh Beal was doing some little

Things and still contributing even though he didn’t really need to score so I thought um just picking their moments and and setting the tone from the start and and like you said to start the show just Booker just owns the Pelicans at this point he has 162 points in his last

Three games against them I saw the Pelicans uh Antonio Daniels I believe pregame was his key to the game was to stop Devon Booker and he’s gone on this funny little rant and and uh surely enough drops 52 and uh but yeah overall it’s just it was an

Awesome game from from start to finish obviously you know the Pelicans you know their DNA like it’s just in them to to fight back and and cut the lead down and they did yeah the Suns they were gonna make a run yeah yeah that’s that’s my

Question though so um first of all shout out the Pelicans broadcast all due respect love K Ray love Eddie Johnson this is not uh about them it is more so about the Pelicans best local broadcast in the in the NBA in my opinion but I didn’t watch it on theirs I watched EJ

And right so you know I know I know where my bread is buttered but it is still a fact those guys are awesome and they know their team and they knew this guy was going to come and eat this team’s lunch which he did and by this

Guy I mean book but the question I have is why do you think that’s the case I wrote about it a little bit on the Insiders recap takeaways that I I do just kind of bullet points of of What mattered in the game and what I took

Away from it and and all that and I I don’t think herb Jones is quite like the level of physical strong Defender whereas like a l Dort might be but that’s that can’t explain all of this I mean EJ was kind of saying speaking of the broadcast like there’s just some

Teams you feel comfortable against some gyms you feel good in maybe it’s that and it just there’s not not really a reason to it what do you think yeah I think that’s part of it for sure I think there’s just certain environments or gyms that just you just feel better in

The lighting the court the ball like there’s a lot of things just just going back to that too and and here’s the other part is like his his connection to uh you know his hometown’s like I think post game you say like an hour and a

Half hour 45 from there and he had like a ton of family there and friends there um I think just H having that added motivation and fuel of you know like who knows how many people he had there but I think he said there’s at least like 50

To 100 uh folks there just to watch him play I think that could also add to to the fire so I think uh he definitely loves that Arena he loves playing against that team it’s not just there too like he’s done it in Phoenix we saw

Yeah that that massive first half he had the baby fist bump and all that before he got hurt the baby who cursed the Suns yeah yes um ban the baby but uh on another note yeah I think it’s just kind of more uh a combination of he feels

Good in that gym he has all like a lot of people there supporting him so he just feels good against that team and like you said Herb’s not someone that’s going to really disrupt you and get you off your spot and I think those are usually the types of Defenders that

Bother book the most uh he’s more of like a Team Defender more of a deflector more of a chaos Creator in that sense rather than just that point of attack like G to take you out of your your Rhythm so I think that that could be

Another small piece of that as well yeah yeah it’s it’s it’s not a team where you would look at the roster and say Devin Booker will carve them up you know because they’re a decently good defensive team I think they’re they’re big too they’re pretty big that’s L

Wings he struggles yeah yeah yeah I think really to me it’s maybe another part of it that speaks to kind of Go full circle here to your moment of the game they don’t really have that backline of Defense right they they go kind of out of their way herb at the

Point of attack some of the aggressive help that they have the length that they can use to do that and then obviously when Nance is on the court they play a little differently they can you know Blitz and get the ball out of the the star’s hand and they’re they’re well

Coached they execute they’re an effective defense but it’s like if you can not be affected by herb Dyson Daniels is probably a little too young for you know really being a stopper at that level has three fouls in 25 minutes tonight and you’re getting downhill or

You’re kind of just really in a rhythm getting to your spots then that help defense is probably not going to do much to affect you that that that’s like the best I can do but again it’s like okay that that might explain some of it that doesn’t explain 160 points in three

Games but yeah and especially when that help defense is coming after books hit a few like he doesn’t even see that like that’s when once he gets in that Rhythm he’s just locked so locked in that that’s just a secondary back thought in his mind that that three in the second

Quarter the one where we know it right if we’ve watched the Suns where the shot clock’s running out and he tries to get his his balance he’s also hit a few like that to win games the Knicks game winner the the Mavs game winner a couple years

Ago off the inbound some moments like that but when that one just hit the back of the rim and barely even touch the net I was like all right you know we’re he already had scored like 30 points at that point but that was the one where I

Was like all right like something else is happening tonight that’s what I wanted to pick for my moment um I was between that and the the breaking the threes so I mean there there’s a lot and it was all book related so good stuff all right so I decided our takeaway from

This one myself Brandon and I are not going to go back and forth because I think it’s really worth dissecting which is we can complain about three separate straight weekends of losses to teams without their best players but at the same time they are having these high

Highs they didn’t just beat the Pelicans they kind of dominated the Pelicans and that’s a team ahead of them in the standing so we’ll try to understand what goes right in these moments that allows the Suns to get these big wins and maybe contrast that a little

Bit with the ugly Knights and try to come to an answer of what is going on with this team we’ll do that next first Today’s Show brought to you by better help better help is doing their part to bring therapy straight to you make it easier more accessible and

More useful sometimes we all need the opportunity to get something off of our chest big or small certain things can really get to you it’s important to let them out especially and this is the key in my opinion to someone who’s unbiased about your life right not a family

Member not a friend who might actually be involved in the situation but somebody external somebody separate that can just hear you talk to you and of course a professional that knows how to handle it so today let’s talk about something that I feel really strongly about where should we go

Um I like the playin I know that’s kind of a positive but it’s going to be a thing I probably won’t say again on here very much as the Suns maybe have to fight through it and people are feeling like you know a little bit of anxiety here but I think

It’s awesome I’m going to enjoy it no matter what and I think uh the NBA made a really good decision and even though the Suns might struggle through it I am going to maintain that obviously many more important things on all of our minds than our favorite sports teams and

Therapy can be different for everybody but it’s important to get things like that off your chest every once in a while even if they feel uncomfortable and if you’re thinking of starting therapy today soon anytime in the near future give betterhelp a try it’s entirely online designed to be flexible

And suited to your schedule so visit betterhelp.com / lockon NBA to get 10% off your first month that’s better help hp.com lockon NBA all right Brandon so the takeaway from tonight is the Suns have high highs just like they have low lows and tonight was one of those what do you feel

Like it it might have been a big part of this game maybe it was somewhat of a small part of this game but you connected to some past wins like this beating Denver twice beating I mean they beat the Bucks Once Upon a Time with Giannis they’ve had a win against the

Mavs a big one on the road what do you feel like is the ingredient that all of those wins have in common is there one so I’ll preface this with I’ve watched a lot of Phoenix Suns basketball over the years I’ve seen a lot of different teams highs and lows this is

By far the most confusing team I’ve ever watched um but what I will say is that there seems to be some consistency with a every time you feel like you’re about to give up on them they pull off a performance like this B what leads to that it’s usually taking care of the

Basketball Val valuing the ball that’s that’s usually number one and if it’s not that because they’ve they have had some wins where they have turned the ball over and despite that it really just comes down to the the activity on the events event and and on the boards

So I think if they’re locked in and engaged that’s kind of uh checks both boxes most of the time obviously there’s going to be teams that force you to turn the ball over uh you can’t really control that some nights where there’s I think it’s the careless turnovers that

Really that you can control and I think when they limit those and also do a good job on the glass and play hard defensively like you’re going to have some nights where you can’t hold someone down to like you know less than 110 points just because they’re they’re on

Fire hitting every you every wide open shot or even contested shots like that’s just how defense goes sometimes so I think it really just comes in down to being locked in and and uh to me like just that Denver game too and and this game and the first Spurs game like it’s

Just been alternating how intense they were how focused they were and uh yeah those are usually two things that stand out to me yeah yeah I I mean it’s I like the way you put it with the turnovers because they have had games where they’ve exhibited some of the bad things

But still won and sometimes still won in dominant fashion so I think that’s again kind of why I wanted to hit on it and there’s been games where they’ve lost with maybe fewer turnovers or you know they’ve lost when they have good offensive balance and so you know so

It’s not always the same thing I’m glad you also said what everybody listening to this is probably you know screaming into their phone or or computer or whatever is effort of course that’s the bottom line but I guess the question is how does that show up what are the

Indicators of okay now like as I’m watching sitting here okay now I know they’re playing with ever I know they brought it uh yeah maybe some of it is embarrassment and trolling all of us I I wouldn’t be uh I wouldn’t put that past them at this point that feels like as

Valid of an explanation as anything else you could come up with but where I come down on it is something that I feel like they actually have in common with the statistically best team in the NBA which is the Boston Celtics which is I really

Feel like they’re a rhythm team and I I I think that they are a team offensively if they’re moving the ball playing you know deliberately trying to kind of generate that Rhythm you know the ball finds energy that hasn’t changed since uh Mike Danton said it 20 years ago

Here and when that style is what they embrac from the beginning I think it goes a long way but I think the same thing can be said kind of mentally right like if if they hit some hiccups or if they have a weird first quarter or if

Somebody gets into foul trouble or they run into a rut where they do have a few of those live ball turnovers in a row it’s really hard for them to flip that switch back on once it gets flipped off so I really to me like the best way I

Can put it is rhythm and to put that into a positive tonight obviously as I said at the beginning KD and book come out they take a a bunch of Threes early which is important the ball is moving the ball is popping I think you’re absolutely right that they they didn’t

Just settle into all right these are our guys they’re going to we’re just going to feed them all night like Grayson had a couple nice moments Beal had some nurkic had more as the game went on offensive rebounding was big everything else and that Rhythm kind of kind of

Comes so in this case they did fight back against a little bit of a run they never really got pushed to where they had to flip it back to on but maybe that’s the key is just come out swinging every night come out focused every night

And yeah you’re not going to be perfect but at least you give yourself a cushion that’s the best I can kind of come up with because it’s it’s hard to analyze all of it like you said it’s it’s it’s confusing it’s mind-boggling yep and uh we were talking

Before even recording earlier and you’re just saying you know these Everyone likes to focus on on the losses and like the Doomsday approach but at the same time like these games do count also and I feel like that was a great point in terms of just like feel like sometimes

We almost discount these types of wins and like the Denver win and look I’m not saying like jump completely back on the ship and say like the suns are back because I’m not doing that by any means but I think it shows I won’t do it actually I’ll promise you right now that

Will not be happening for the rest of the regular season guys so uh I don’t know about Brandon I don’t speak for you but I’m not doing an overreaction in either direction the rest of the year because it doesn’t I have no way to do

It how am I supposed to look if if they win out then then I you know I’ll I’ll I’ll be back okay yeah that’s that’s about it I’m with you though I think it’s it’s uh right can’t put like too much in this and that’s why I say like I feel like

They play up and down to their competition and and sometimes the games just don’t make sense and uh I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing for the playoffs uh you could probably argue to be good considering they’re gonna be playing a good team and a big

Stage but at the same time you don’t want to develop bad habits and I feel like they’ve done that over the course of the year and the in inconsistency is definitely alarming but at the same time these these Peaks show you how dangerous they can be so um I still just kind of

Walk in that plank of I I don’t know what to make of this team but I one thing I will say is when they are on you don’t want to play them and be on the other side of that because they are they could beat

Anyone I mean I’ve kind of tried to also at at the same time with this team because it it is I almost feel like they’ve evolved to the point where it’s worse to watch them every day and actually go through each of the crazy ups and the and the crazy Downs just in

Terms of really trying to get a gauge on what they’re capable of in the postseason and that’s why I did the show I did on Monday where I basically was just like let’s zoom out to 30,000 fet and look at what the stakes are what the expectations should be everything else

Because I’m like granular level I’m lost but other people who don’t watch every day I’ve been trying to pay attention to what they think and somebody like Steve Jones Jr who’s on the dunker spot and does some stuff on J J retics podcast and whatnot has been retweeting himself a bunch

Lately about this team where he basically has this thing from a few weeks ago where it just says I still don’t want to face them in the first round if I’m anybody else and I think that’s kind of that’s where a lot of national Media

Or other teams fans seem to be like I actually think Suns fans are now lower on the Suns than non-ss fans I’m not saying that’s wrong again I’m not going to tell you anything that you’ve analyzed about this team is is right or wrong at this point I guess I’m just

Pointing it out and it speaks to right that ceiling is still there even though it might feel like it’s not they’ve had pretty big impressive wins against several teams now not the Oklahoma City Thunder so you know you’re well within your rights to freak out about that

Matchup and be doomsday about that but everything else it’s like yeah I mean if you told me that they were in a close game seven against the Nuggets a month from now I wouldn’t really push back that much I could easily see it you know so it’s uh it’s it’s definitely weird

But yeah Rhythm would be my best guess I don’t have I don’t have much more uh deep analysis than that but I think when they’re in a mental and a physical Rhythm that’s when they’re really playing at their best and I think that honestly emanates from how ktie and book

Play right I mean those are both Rhythm players at the end of the day yeah a lot of those are intertwined too like the effort usually comes hand inand with rhythm I feel like uh most of the time sometimes it doesn’t but I think usually when they’re locked in it’s just across

The board you could just notice that difference and there’s not any but the weird part like we’ve said is there’s not any one specific Stat or one thing that happens all the time it’s just kind of pick your poison is not in the box score exactly so it’s uh like I think

You put it pretty perfect though that Suns fans are probably lower on them than National media at this point just because of how close and how well we know them it’s it’s like uh I I just I I can’t put it in words and I think at

This point we just got to just get in the healthy and that’s that’s the main key for me is like just get there healthy and just figure it out like I’m just not I’ll talk about each game I’m going to tell you what went right what went

Wrong what my take on it is but I am done with the Bold proclamations in any One Direction outside of yesterday where I was like yeah everybody could get fired and traded I’ll tell you that but other than that I I don’t know about what the results are going to be between

Now and then or if that outcomes even going to actually bear fruit or if we’re just going to get something way better and not expect it either but all right let’s get to to what the box score does show us starting with threes and free throws and we’ll break down some of how

That went the sun’s way coming up in just one moment first a quick word from our old friends at game time the best place to buy any ticket you need game time is now an authorized ticket Marketplace of Major League Baseball so if you want to catch the reigning NL Champion Arizona

Diamondbacks or if you’re traveling maybe and you want to catch I love to do that when I’m out of town during the summer just see if the baseball team’s in town game time is the best place to do that killer last minute deals Allin prices views from your seat and a last a

Lowest price guarantee game time takes the guess workk out of buying all tickets as well as Major League Baseball here’s what I love the most about game time personally seat views you get a panoramic view from your seat in the app before you buy and this is the real deal

I usually you know before game time existed I’d be buying my ticket one place there were all these weird sketchy websites where people would upload their own picture and you’re like is this even real why does this person’s camera suck what is going on here instead game time

Has it right there so you see the row you see the number you see the section and you see a picture of what you are going to be looking at when you’re sitting there so if you are out of town you’ve never been to the place you’re

Going to be buying a ticket for it’s really awesome but even if you know you’ve been there before you might not have sat in that exact place you want to make sure you’re not behind a bar or you’re not looking over a crowd or in a weird section where where there’s going

To be drunk people or whatever game time does that for you take the guest work out of buying tickets with Game Time download the app create an account use the code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase terms apply create an account redeem the code locked on NBA

For $20 off again game time app download it now last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed all right Brandon let’s close it out so let’s start with the box score audity I also want to get to a nerk report tonight I think his performance was worth focusing in on but we talked

About the threes plenty just to highlight it though they took 20 more threes than the Pelicans so that is a really tough deficit to overcome no matter what team you are New Orleans had a pretty solid offensive night I mean they shot 47% they had a bunch of guys

In double figures their turnovers were pretty low they had some offensive rebounds but if you’re going to take 20 fewer threes in your opponent you’re probably going to lose so that’s that’s the value right there and then free throws is where I wanted to toss it back

To you because one of the things the Suns have been really good at all season one of the categories they’ve owned that’s been a big improvement from previous seasons is is free throw rate they get to the line as well as anybody in the NBA they’ve been first or second

In that category all year but everybody’s been dealing with a lower free throw total around the league that’s obviously been a big talking point how do you expect that to look in the playoffs do you feel like the Suns will be able to count on that do you

Think they’ve proven hey we’re number one in this category All Season or do you think it might sway the other direction or be unpredictable given those rule changes given you know book doesn’t always get the calls that he might like to get where are you at with

Their ability to really slow games down and win that category come playoff 10 look I I hate to go this route but when it comes to uh those pin stripes uh those refs the zebras I just I cannot trust any consistency especially come playoff times they really do change how

They apprciate so um while I do think it is encouraging that they they’ve improved a lot and they have more downhill threats with Bradley Beal Grayson Allen even can get downhill I think Booker and Durant uh their their gravity really opens up a lot for for

Those two to attack the rim a little bit more as well and nkit is just a problem when he catches it on the Block um in some favorable situations based off that gravity created so I think they have the weapons and the tools to to have big

Free throw games but is it something I account on or Bank on like they’re going to have a clear advantage over you know let’s say they’re in the playin game against the Lakers or Warriors like good luck I just don’t I just especially the first one you said there yeah yeah yeah

The 100% so to me it’s like yes I think it’s something that you could label it as a strength potentially but it’s not something I think that’s gonna uh really matter because each game is so different come playoff time and it’s just more of a matchup dependent bases really so uh

Encouraging I don’t want to like you know rain on the parade because I do think it is something worth noting but not something that I will ever as a Suns fan Bank on completely fair so last year in the postseason they were seventh in F in

Free throw rate um some of that is including the Pelicans and the and the Thunder who just played in playin gamees so I’ll eliminate that and we’ll say they were fifth but they were behind the Clippers the Knicks the Lakers and the Wolves they were a touch ahead of Denver

And if you look in that second round they were in the game three that they won they had 20 uh 18 free throw attempts compared to 21 for the nuggets and in the game four win that they had they were at 29 attempts compared to 23 for

The Nuggets a lot of that coming from Duran who had 13 so I would say it will be part of what they count on but you know I think any team that relies on that too much we always kind of poke a hole in that come

Playoff time so we’ll have to see reason I brought it up 20 of 25 from the line tonight they made more than the Pelicans New Orleans did attempt a similar amount so a high free throw game in a in a league that hasn’t had a lot of those

Lately but that brings us to Yousef nurkic who was a big driver of that and it is time for the nerk report where we just talk about all the crazy things that Yousef nkit does in every game Brandon and first of all not a rhythm play early on was him

Botching like three layups in a row but rallies after that 19 and 19 another huge rebounding game four assists just one turnover five fouls but 36 minutes is also very impressive and that’s kind of where I wanted to go again kind of looking toward playoff time and stuff

The fact that he was able to stay on the court have an impact and really I think illustrate for for Suns fans why he is significantly more valuable than a guy like valent chunis who you might like if you were just being lazy compare to him to right I think nurkic continues to

Prove that there could be teams that go small there could be teams that have another big physical Center there could be teams where he has to you know guard a a floor spacer he’s going to be able to handle it and he’s he’s good for a pretty solid impact even if his minutes

Will fluctuate so shout out to nurkic on a night where he did a lot yeah I mean he had eight offensive rebounds that was huge I thought they outrebounded them by 12 and that’s something against a team as big as New Orleans like you you’ll take that any

Day so I think just his ability to create those extra possessions and and just really battle down low really can help shift the momentum of a game and you’ll see when those Suns when the Suns have those possessions where they get two or three shots and really make the

Defense work uh I think that’s that’s when they’re at their best even though I obviously you want to make the ver shot but like I think anytime you can create those extra opportunities it’s just deflating for the defense uh makes them work harder and I think

The Suns uh anytime they have a 10 plus board Advantage like uh it’s just it’s G to be tough to lose those games unless you’re just turning it over like we’ve seen them do in the past so I think the fact that they were you know did a

Decent job of taking care of the ball too and I think they had like 12 to to zero assisted turnover ratio in the first quarter that just kind of set the tone of taking care the ball early and and then the fact that you know nurkic

Bounced back from that uh like you said that early struggles and still had a massive game was was awesome I was glad Eddie Johnson at least pointed that out I mean love EJ he is a homer but that’s it’s funny when he gets to a point where it’s like all

Right even I have to say something you know what I mean he was like he just said those are the ones nerk has to make it’s like yes thank you exactly um but okay so the other part of this is on the defensive end and I think the thing

That teams get caught into and I get it if you don’t have a lot of on the back side or or you’re just kind of thin on options overall I get the temptation to put your Center on Zion but it it’s not going to work well for you because one he’s probably he’s

Too fast he’ll beat that guy and then there’s no help at the rim and second he’s going to get that guy into foul trouble it’s just use your Center as help on the backside if at all possible if you have anybody who can realistically defend Zion oneon-one and

Obviously we saw Beal pick that up again so what did you think of how they guarded Zion tonight we talked a lot about all the good things on the Suns side we haven’t really focused on the Pelicans part of this at all and his first half I think he was three of eight

From the field and that goes a long way what do you think of how they coralled him yeah you stole the words words right out of my mouth there I was just about to say I thought in the first half they did a tremendous job containing him

Second half he just kind of went more in that mode of he’s going to I think EJ said it Force the refs to make a call um with some of his downhill dve and that’s just what he does but I think given the sun’s Personnel like the fact that they

Could really kind of take him out of the game in that first half was was huge and a major component as to why they’re up by you know 20 points a halftime so I think uh you know anytime there’s a downhill threat as athletic and and uh

Just massive Zion uh being able to stay in front is huge stay in front without fouling is other thing and that overturn call also it’s a great indicator that the Suns can disrupt these guys and like we even saw completely different player stylistically but joic the last few

Times they’ve played against him too just that as a hub of that offense just really disrupting him digging down forcing some uncharacteristic turnovers like to me that’s really encouraging that this Sun’s defense has that in them um even if it’s for small stretches because you’re not going to shut these

Guys down for the entire game like you’re just not so if you can do it for a little bit come playoff time that might be all you need defensively if your offense is clicking so they have it in them uh defensively I thought tonight they did a good job of using nurkic uh

Pretty smart on that end too just has that backline um line of defense so hopefully they can keep it rolling and he can play 30 plus minutes say out St out of foul trouble and uh that’s that’s the key come playoff time right it is and another thing that could

Come up as important heading into the playoffs the Suns now have the tiebreaker over the Pelicans they do play them one more time but they are now winners of two out of three regardless of what happens in that last one so if they were to end up tied in the

Standings with New Orleans they would get the noge uh noge nudge ahead of them they are seventh after this game one loss behind New Orleans and everything is still on the table as I think has been the theme of this show this team confuses us and everything

Else but that’s the bottom line there’s no arguing with the standings they got a big win when they needed it on the road and they are still within definite territory of getting that six seed so that will wrap us up catch Brandon’s riding over at Bri side

Of the sun you can catch I promise you guys a watchback on the locked on suns insiders feed tomorrow looking at the I don’t know probably the probably the fourth quarter of this game which ended up being the tightest one otherwise it would just be me going wow a bunch of

Times at EP book so we’ll we’ll do the fourth when there was actual chess moves happening on the court between the two teams so you have that to look forward to if you sign up with the link in the show description below or visit join sub tex.com lockon Suns I’ll be back

Tomorrow getting you ready for Suns Cavs until then enjoy your Wednesday I’ll talk to you soon

Devin Booker scored 52 and the Phoenix Suns were in a sweet rhythm in a comfortable win over the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-111.

Brendon Kleen of @justbasketballfans is joined by Brandon Dueñas of Bright Side of the Sun to dig into Book’s big night, how the Suns keep scoring these big wins, and how they match up with the Pels.

JOIN THE LOCKED ON SUNS SUBTEXT COMMUNITY: https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonsuns

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on TikTok
Locked On Suns https://www.tiktok.com/@lockedonphxsuns?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on X
Locked On Suns https://twitter.com/LockedOnPHXSuns
Brendon Kleen https://twitter.com/BrendonKleen14

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOSuns?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers from our sponsors: lockedonpodcasts.com/offers

Jase Medical
Get $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase.

Birddogs
Go to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNBA or enter promo code LOCKEDONNBA for a free water bottle with any purchase. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you.

Betterhelp
This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/lockedonnba today to get 10% off your first month.

FanDuel
This episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, Official Sportsbook of Locked On. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#PhoenixSuns #KevinDurant #DevinBooker #NBA #BradleyBeal

9 Comments

  1. Thats what suns look like on defense. What booker did to them is what guards do to phoenix. Jonas – nurkic pelicans beside herb jones – grayson allen.

  2. Guys you just don’t jack up 3s if they are not going in tho. Slippery slope with the 3s KD still went 3-11 EG 1-6 those are not good percentage book was just hot tonight from 3. Attacking the rim getting lay ups moving the ball for good 3s Denver and OKC are at the bottom in 3 point attempts and they are battling for the 1 seed it’s because they get easier buckets at the rim. Just jacking up 3s will get you beat that’s what killed James harden and rockets and this is what have killed Boston last 3 years I would rather have 30 3s with good efficiency than 40 with bad efficiency

Write A Comment