They’re an unstoppable duo – ESPN react to Booker-Durant combined for 72 PTS, Suns beat Cavaliers

They’re an unstoppable duo – ESPN react to Booker-Durant combined for 72 PTS, Suns beat Cavaliers

With Cassidy hover afterwards here’s book Devin in efficient 92 points over your last two games it’s also your 32nd 40o game that’s the most in Sun’s history but just to go back to the last two games how do you describe just the ease that you have right now

Offensively I mean it just starts with stops you know I think when we’re guarding at a level um the ball’s hopping around it’s easy to find Rhythm so you know we’ve been doing a good job of that the past two games some important games and from here on out

Every game matters and you and Kevin Durant second game this season that you guys have scored at least 30 points you combined for 72 tonight where is just the confidence level you two have attacking alongside each other I mean that’s my favorite player you know so iron sharp sharpens

Iron and you know to be alongside him every game and obviously he causes a lot of attention that opens up a lot of great looks for everybody on the team um but we’re building you know like I said this is a tough stretch of of the year

And an important stretch at the same time so you know we’re we’re we’re in good shape building and climbing with the win you move into sixth place in the west outside of the playing game you told me this morning that this team is ready how playoff ready do you feel like

This group is right now as you attack the hardest remaining schedule of the NBA I mean I say credit the NBA they did their thing with the playin tournament um these games are playoff games so you know we’re trying to get these wins and

And stay in the top six you know to have to avoid those single elimination games so um we’re ready to go though Energy’s High congrats on the win Devon thank you for your time as Cassidy mentioned Phoenix entered the evening eth in the west now sixth that’s just how fluid things are

In the absolutely low West that’s Banas man Sacramento Falls to eighth on an off night just a half game back of the coveted six which means you avoid the playin tournament Tim legler with us here in DC Phoenix looked dominant on Wednesday you have enjoyed what they’ve shown in terms of what

Their ceiling can be but you had concerns about right the level of consistency what stands out about the approach in this particular game a couple weeks ago I went in on them and and they deserved it with the egg played against the Bucks the way they played against the Spurs without wemy they

Deserved it and I think they have been better and there’s a style of play Scott that they get to that makes you think okay this is what it needs to be and if they can stay like this You’ got a real chance in the west and that was great

Sound by the way to lead to this touchcreen okay because Devon Booker talked about two things he talked about the ball hopping and he talked about Kevin Durant drawing attention and that’s exactly what we’re going to focus on right here so let’s just get right to

It this is impressive Scott cuz there 14 seconds on the shot clock Kevin Durant’s taking the ball of bands on the side so and in 14 seconds they’re going to make seven passes on this possession out of the half court it’s going to lead to something great so that’s the ball

Hopping component of it and this is just basic Flex basketball where the ball gets revers you get a back screen a dive followed by a down screen like everybody in the league runs some version of this when the ball gets reversed that’s the action you run initially but that’s not

What they’re really trying to get out of this they’re going to keep it moving around the perimeter comes back over here now this is the thing that I want to see Kevin Durant do more and when he does this they’re very difficult to defend I don’t think Kevin Durant sets

Enough ball screens when he sets ball screens and he’s involved any action and this ball handler comes off the way that he’s going to make these two Defenders react to that and what’s open in the middle of the floor as a result is this

And now he catches it and you can take a look you can see my man EU bang on here he wants a lot he’s got his hand up you can go there if you want you can go out here if you want to that defender came

All the way down to your lap or you could go over here to the wing he’s got everything at his disposal created three passing Windows just because of his ability to set a screen dive to the middle and catch the basketall that’s the kind of reaction you get defensively

For Kevin Durant here he makes the right read and this is the last component of this these guys are critical Royce O’Neal’s of the world the Eric Gordon of the world Grayson Allen when he plays who wasn’t there if they’re making their share of corner threes after ball

Movement Phoenix on are legitimately a threat in the Western Conference to be that last team standing against against Denver CU that’s how I use everybody to describe him relative to Denver I think they’re going to be there in the end who will be that team the Suns have a chance

When they play like this offensively I thought the first half tonight was as good as they can play offensively we don’t have Commandments on this show but if we did two of them would be don’t overreact and provide context okay yes no Dame Lillard for Milwaukee okay that

Explains some of it the Phoenix Suns back at the footprint center tonight starting their final home stand of the regular season and it was good one uh coming into the evening there were only seven games left to play four of them on their home floor starting with the

Cleveland Cavaliers making a stop in downtown Phoenix Mark mclone also Downtown Phoenix at the footprint Center another strong showing from the Suns and we need this yeah certainly with the ups and the Downs of this season you know this time last week the sun’s prospects of not

Being in the NBA’s playin tournament uh certainly looked pretty Bleak right there is a team that just could not find any continuity on the floor and it looked like they were headed to the playin and that was going to make their Road uh to the NBA Playoffs just that

Much more difficult here in about 13 days the first round of the NBA Playoffs starting after the playin tournament but this is a team that is now one of the hottest in the NBA putting up backto back 70 point first halfs second game in a row they’ve done that and the big

Three seems to have found a new configuration that’s uh because Frank vogle told us pregame something new was on the horizon tonight that we had never seen really at home for the Suns before we’ seen it on the road in New Orleans Bradley Beal running point guard he’s

Been hasn’t been taking as many shots lately something head coach Frank Vogel said before the game was by Design tonight was much of the same he put up just nine shots in the field served as a good distributor with seven assists as the Suns had 32 out of 44 shots overall

Uh really moving the basketball around this could be a successfully a successful new formula for the Suns as they close out the regular season and start looking forward to the postseason here so meanwhile the other two legs of the tripod benefited from Beal’s new role Kevin Durant and Devon Booker

Combining for 72 points each putting up 20 plus shot attempts a lot of thought that maybe Booker was trying to do too much as the point guard and this just lets book be book Booker Leading The Way with a game high 40 his second straight

40 Burger of course he had a 50 point game earlier this week in New Orleans and he was 9 for9 from the free throw line so let’s take a live look at the Western Conference standings here’s what it looks like currently for the Suns with the Pelicans losing to the magic

Tonight the Kings and the Mavericks were both off tonight the Suns take over that sixth playoff spot which would keep them out of the playing tournament if they can stay there it’s still a log Jam at top the conference with the t-wolves who are here on Friday the nuggets and

Thunder trading first place on on a nightly basis Minnesota claiming it uh tonight after a win over Toronto and of course uh they come in here on Friday nights that’s going to be a real test the next game for the Phoenix Suns the Minnesota Timberwolves here on Friday

Night another 7 o’ tip off right here on Arizona’s family you can watch it on 3TV AZ Family Sports and the Pelicans again on Sunday guys I don’t know if the suns are a title Contender from what everything that we’ve seen this season but certainly tonight you think they

Might have found something and looking forward to getting inside that locker room here in from Bradley Beal hearing from Deon Booker and Kevin Durant about how exactly this felt with with Bradley Beal really taking a lesser role scoring wise but facilitating and the Suns uh certainly have some Freedom here on

Offense and and Devon Booker uh really looking like Devon Booker for one of the first times this year uh I guess he did New Orleans with a 50 the other night but just just looking free and and not having to facilitate the offense as much and Mark B bowl with some playing time

As well yeah you’re guy you know and I think I think I think one thing that that we don’t talk about enough is the development of bbow by this coaching staff I mean he was a guy who came in and looked very timid his first couple games he’s out there bringing the ball

Up the floor shooting threes at will and really being encouraged and he’s the sun’s coaching staff has built him into a weapon Off the Bench uh Mark why do you think this reconfiguration happened so late in the season I mean we’ve been talking about this for a long time

Right I mean maybe injuries had had a a lot to do with it when the big three could finally get on the floor and you know as they as they grow I think there’s just different conversations that happen and Frank Bogle was talking about that today when they were looking

At the video the past week they’re like well this works and this works and this works and I think Devon Booker really wanted to be that guy who facilitates I mean there’s something heroic about being the the teammate that sacrifices for others but at this point just just

Let book cook I mean if he’s going to if he’s going to put up 40 like this I I think you just got to let the guy go and Bradley Beal seems uh very content in that role to facilitate speaking of the guys and Frank vogle where are they yeah

I see somebody who’s is that the coach at the bottom of the screen let’s go take him yeah you know we want to go for a knockout punch uh something we’ve talked about and um you know we just you we didn’t make shots and we didn’t get back

On defense and we fouled you know so I mean that stretch was the only negative part of the game but uh we never lost control of the game I I think he when they went on that run uh we did a great job responding not panicking you staying

With what worked for us in the first half and got the game back under control and uh we’re in control throughout then the play of Roy just him coming in obviously he started so many times before but what you think of his game yeah he he was outstanding you know I

Think him and B and Eric all stepped out stepped up with uh with Grayson’s absence um but Roy knocking down five threes playing good defense um bringing energy to our offense with his movement um it just was just really good and you know obviously bowl and Eric uh

Contributed as well Eric you know only got three shots but he was a plus 26 for the game his gravity means something for us uh he gives us a defensive disposition with his on ball defense where he’s a tough Defender with great hands and one of our best contest guys

And uh Bow’s length and and uniqueness shows up you know in a game like this where you know they got a bigger team there’s good matchups for him out there and he made a number of uh solid defensive plays loose ball plays uh knocked down a few threes made some some

Offensive uh plays on a break you know I think all three of those guys really stepped up in Grayson’s absence look at the last two games and all right head coach uh Frank Vogel there breaking it down for us uh the suns are home Tower attack to Victory Victory is for the

Bold dragon and Slayer have appeared Tower is attack our Middle Lane Tower is under attack Tower our Middle Lane Tower is under attack to attack exeed executed our Middle Lane Tower is under attack the iron defense line has disappeared your has ballista destroyed Lan Tower thirsty our was Dr Tower is under

Attack your team has destroyed a tower First Blood stepping through my turn an enemy has been defeated is under attack your team has destroyed a tower just in time our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack your team has destroyed a tower your tower has been destroyed Tower attack your team has destroyed

Tower to Victory Tower Victory is for the Bold dragon and Slayer have appeared Tower our Middle Lane Tower is under attack Tower our Middle Lane Tower is under attack tower under attack exeed executed our Middle Lane Tower is under attack the iron defense line has disappeared your tower has the ballista

Destroyed Lane Tower is attack so thirsty our Dragon Tower is under attack your team has destroyed a tower First Blood stepping through an enemy has defeated Tower is under attack your team has destroyed a tower just in time our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack your team has destroyed a

Tower your tower has been destroyed Tower attack

They’re an unstoppable duo – ESPN react to Booker-Durant combined for 72 PTS, Suns beat Cavaliers