Cam Johnson's Return Couldn't Have Gone Better
The Phoenix Suns may be starting to see the light in what has been a dark and long tunnel they have had to travel through since December with the return of Cam Johnson last night in a 117-112 win against the Brooklyn Nets.
Coming off the bench to a very warm reception Johnson was on fire in the first quarter scoring 10 points in 6 minutes on 3-4 shooting, including 2-3 from the 3-point line.
After missing nearly 40 games with a torn meniscus, that first shot was especially satisfying for Johnson:
“Kind of was wide open, so felt good, just stuck to the fundamentals, hit that one, had a couple more that I left out there that I felt like I should have made or done something a little different," he said following the game.
For his teammate Deandre Ayton, the early success was not a surprise, “I watched that man every time we came back home, that man was in the gym. Working on that shot, waiting to play and rehabbing. You see the effort he puts in, that kid has been working," Ayton said.
In an abundance of precaution, Johnson was on restricted minutes coming into the game. Yet with the game on the line, Suns head coach Monty Williams had Johnson return into the game, and the results paid off immaculately. Johnson hit four clutch free throws in the final 17 seconds to keep the Nets from completing a 24-point comeback.
While the defensive collapse was not what the Suns were looking for in the fourth, Johnson believes his presence in crunch time will give him even more confidence going forward, “Through the roof. Just like, ‘OK, another chance.’ Cause it’s like, you’re out for a while and you watch and then you watch what you’ve done in the past and then you watch the game," said Johnson.
“So just being able to play, being able to log multiple stints out there, just helps me process the game as a whole and build upon everything.”
Johnson’s final stat line saw him score 19 points in 22 minutes on 4-10 shooting and was 9-9 from the free throw line. He also collected two assists, six rebounds, and two blocks.
Williams was amazed by just how conditioned and ready Johnson was to return, “typically when you come back that first game, the last thing you can do is make a shot and attack the basket and get and-ones and hit free throws because you don’t have a game rhythm, but he’s been working his tail off and we’re grateful that he’s out there on the floor.”
Johnson and the Suns will look to continue their winning ways Saturday when they host the Indiana Pacers. Thursday was just the first step in Johnson's full integration back into his role as a starter, but it was a great step in the right direction nonetheless.
