Game Recap: Suns Ride Dominant First Quarter to Victory Against Pistons
The Phoenix Suns' trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal wasted no time showing what they can do on the court together in their preseason win over the Detroit Pistons.
The offense flowed extremely well with minimal iso ball. The ball movement on some possessions was reminiscent of San Antonio Spurs teams of old coached by Gregg Popovich.
The defense largely played inspired ball, with Josh Okogie leading the effort. The major concern in the first quarter was Jusuf Nurkic struggling to protect the rim without fouling, but the defense looked quite stout as a unit.
Phoenix lead 46-29 after the first quarter.
Phoenix didn't look quite as sharp in the second frame, only scoring 24 points to Detroit's 30. Phoenix lead 70-59 at half, and all of the Suns' starters days were over.
There still were some standouts in the fray even without the stars, with Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon, and Yuta Watanabe being the biggest ones.
Eubanks showed infectious energy on both ends, getting to the line several times, blocking a shot, and grabbing significant rebounds. Watanabe had a beautiful pull-up jumper from mid range and looked very comfortable on the court without Durant. Allen was nothing short of spectacular on both ends, scoring 18 points, dropping three dimes, and getting three steals/blocks.
Phoenix went into the fourth quarter with a 104-84 lead.
The resounding lead that was held for much of the game was lost in the final quarter, as players such as Saben Lee, Keon Johnson and Bol Bol struggled to gain a rhythm on either end.
Detroit was able to attack the rim at will. It ended up appearing to be too little too late for Monty Williams' squad, but a barrage of late three point hits forced overtime.
Phoenix and Detroit went into extra time tied at 122 with the scrappy squad.
The Suns pulled away in the end, escaping with a 130-126 win in the first tune-up contest. Chemeize Metu was a standout in the period, finishing the game with 14 points. The Suns defense also looked much more resembling of the team that played relentlessly in the first quarter.
Phoenix's next game will be their preseason home opener against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.
Key Suns Team Stats
42-95 FG (44.2%)
14-37 3PTFG (37.8%)
32-38 FT (84.2%)
50 Rebounds
27 assits
19 turnovers
Key Suns Individual Stats
Devin Booker- 12 points, 2 assists, 2 3PM
Kevin Durant- 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4-7 FG
Bradley Beal- 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-5 FG
Grayson Allen- 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-11 FG
Yuta Watanabe- 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 4-9 FG
