What We Learned From Suns' Win vs Wolves
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are now 5-6 after a much needed win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, stopping a two-game losing streak.
The Suns rode the momentum of Devin Booker's return despite not having Bradley Beal due to back spasms.
That's where we'll start:
What We Learned From Suns' Win vs Timberwolves
Bradley Beal Isn't Back
We'll get the negative (and egregious play on words) out of the way.
After being listed as probable ahead of game time with Suns coach Frank Vogel doubling down on the "probable" tag, Phoenix ruled Bradley Beal out just ahead of their matchup vs Minnesota due to the lingering lower back problems that have kept him out for what's now been eight games.
The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin reported Beal's back issues flared up on Tuesday morning.
When asked when the Suns knew about the injury (after Beal played the last three games) Vogel offered this:
"About the 60 minute mark when we had to report it. He woke up with some residual tightness in the back this morning. We were hoping it would loosen up by game time. But it did not, so we held him out."
Frustrating, but not Beal's fault. The Suns also need to keep in mind the big picture, and so long as Booker is healthy, they should feel comfortable enough to steady the ship.
Yet it's clear Beal isn't 100% healthy after dealing with these problems in what's now been over a month with plenty of time off. Time to sound the alarm bells? Not just yet.
Here's to hoping Beal can get things ironed out sooner than later, though hope can only fill one hand (bonus points if you get that reference).
Like He Never Left
Devin Booker left the lineup five games ago with a calf strain - after dealing with other injuries - and returned like he hadn't missed a beat. Booker dropped 31 points with four rebounds and five assists.
"It's always nice just playing. Trying to put my inputs in from the bench gets old after awhile and I just want to get out there and compete with the team," Booker said following the game.
It's clearly a night and day difference with Booker's presence on the floor. Phoenix looked very much like the playoff team many had hoped for.
Teammate Kevin Durant said Booker surpassed his expectations in his return, at least conditioning-wise.
"[Booker looked] Incredible. I mean that's what I expect out of him every time we touch the floor. Maybe I was expecting a little bit of wind in his lungs early on but he looked great. The pop was there, just playing with pace and that's what we need. It's good to have our point guard back."
Not much analysis needed here. Booker is one of the best players in the league and that was evident once again
Suns Can Stick to Basics!?
Turnovers have plagued the Suns as of late, as their 16.7 turnovers per night was third-most in the league heading into their matchup vs Minnesota.
Tonight, Phoenix turned the ball over just nine times while also finishing a game in the fourth quarter, something the Suns have fumbled on numerous occasions thus far.
"I'm really happy with how we played offensively. We understand that we've had some stretches where we played a really good game but didn't close it. A 48 minute complete game was what was called for - it was on the board pregame," said Vogel. "It's what we needed to do. It's nice to see our guys put together a full 48 minutes.
"We had to take care of the basketball - a lot of it is just making the right decision. Being in attack mode but under control. Not driving into traffic too much or being sloppy with our passing. I think we had two turnovers in the first minute and then one turnover the whole rest of the half. That was three at halftime. We understand that's the one thing that's really holding us back offensively is turning the basketball over. [We] made some corrections and improvements on that today."
The Suns have mostly beaten themselves this season, so it was refreshing to see them play a simple game. Of course, a lot of that comes on the heels of Booker's return, though other players executed the game plan effectively too.
Josh Okogie Rebounds
Maybe not figuratively, as Okogie grabbed no rebounds on the night in nearly 19 minutes of play, though he was tasked with switching on Anthony Edwards and it was a tough order to get any boards with Minnesota's mammoth lineup patrolling the paint.
Okogie managed to spill 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field tonight while making all three of his shots from long range, something he's struggled with in terms of consistency dating back to last postseason.
The last two games saw Okogie shoot a combined 0-7, though Vogel was confident math would do its thing.
"It's not just about making shots with J.O. [Josh Okogie] because we know he has a lot of ways he can be effective even without knocking down a few threes. We want him to take a few threes every game. Low volume, high percentage is what we're asking him to be," said Vogel.
"He's struggled so far this year to put the ball in the basket from three but there's always a reversion to the mean. The law of averages plays out. He's not a 17% three-point shooter, so we encourage him to shoot the right ones and shoot them with rhythm, with confidence, continue to stay in the gym - which he does, and works on it, and then also get really good with all his other tricks offensively. ... He was terrific on both ends tonight."
Okogie won't ever be Steph Curry from three, though it was good to see the defensive spark plug contribute on both ends again.
What's Next?
The Suns hit the road for a two-game stint against the Utah Jazz, the first of which begins Friday.
